


Yes, My Queen

by the2anime_fanatics



Series: Yes, My Lady [3]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Book 3, But Chrystal is a little all over the place, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Demons, F/M, but when is she not, i don't wanna spoil anything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 25,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24552070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the2anime_fanatics/pseuds/the2anime_fanatics
Summary: Chrystal Foster has succeeded in becoming a demon, but something isn't quite right.Upon awakening, Chrystal finds that all her memories of her human life have vanished. Not knowing anything about herself or the people claiming to be her friends, and having amazing powers that she is unable to control, she has been locked away for the safety of herself and others.Everyone seems to have decided that keeping her in the dark and letting her remember on her own is the best course of action. She only knows that she has been recently turned from human to demon, and has more power than herself or the others can handle.Will she remember her friends, her family? Will she ever remember her destiny? Is her memory loss simply a side effect of the transformation, or could there be something more sinister behind it?
Relationships: Sebastian Michaelis/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Yes, My Lady [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650061
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

It was quiet.

I'd been kept in my room for what felt like ages. I had no way of telling time, no way of knowing how long I'd been confined to this dark place. My only salvation was when I would get the occasional visitor. Today it was a girl named Sarah.

She and the other girl had seemed completely heartbroken at the fact I didn't know them. They watched me, and the younger one burst into tears and tried to get closer to me. I'd been frightened and backed away, only to watch as she was thrown across the room by some invisible force. She hasn't been back to see me since.

Sarah sat beside me now calmly. "Has anything come back to you yet?" she asked in a gentle voice.

I shook my head.

Her smile saddened as she carefully reached out and took my hand. "It will. Sebastian and the others said this would be temporary. You'll remember everything soon."

I frowned. "Everyone keeps mentioning Sebastian, but he hasn't come to see me." I felt my eyes water in frustration. "Why? Who is he? Why can't I remember anything?"

Sarah reached over and hugged me. "He'll come. I'll make him if I have to. But I think he's just scared you'll lash out at him, or maybe do something similar to what happened to Jasmine..."

"I didn't mean to-"

"I know, and so does everyone else. You're still getting used to your powers. You have nothing to feel sorry for. Just keep in mind what's happening."

I nodded. I'd been told that I had recently been transformed into a demon, and that I was very powerful. It seemed that was the reason I'd been confined to this room. They were trying to protect everyone from me while I got used to my power. There seemed to be more to the story, but they always refused to tell me when I asked, saying I wasn't ready, or that I should try to remember it on my own.

"When can I leave this room?" I asked her desperately after a moment had passed. "Maybe I would have a better chance at remembering if-"

"I keep telling the others the same thing, Chrys. Believe me, I want to let you out. We're in such a beautiful building, I'm sure you'd love it. But they keep saying they have to make sure your powers have settled." She looked at me apologetically. "I'm so sorry. I've been trying to get you out of here, believe me."

"I do," I told her. "Can you at least tell me how long I've been here?"

She looked back down at her hands. "It's been about a week since you woke up, I think."

I stared at the wall. A whole week I'd been trapped in this room. A whole week that only a few people have come to see me.

Sarah suddenly grabbed my hand again. "Hey, try not to think about it. Spend your time trying to remember."

I looked down at our hands, and once again began staring at the black mark on my skin. I'd spent hours the past week looking at it, hoping to remember something. It had to mean something. It couldn't just be nothing.

"I'm going to go talk to him again. He needs to come see you. Maybe you'll remember something if you see him."

I returned my gaze to Sarah. She was smiling reassuringly at me, which left me confused. _Why did she suddenly bring Sebastian up again? Does the mark have something to do with him?_

I only nodded, and she squeezed my hand before standing and leaving.

Once again I was all alone. I returned my gaze to the mark, hoping to remember something. It was the only thing that had been familiar to me when I'd woken up, and I felt a tug on my heart whenever I looked at it. _It means something to me. It has to._

What felt like hours went by before there was a knock on the door. I didn't answer, as I was staring hard at my wrist, hoping to remember. After a moment, the door opened.

I finally glanced up to see who was there. It was a man, with black hair, red eyes, and a black suit with a tailcoat. I stared at him.

He gave a small smile.

"Are you... Sebastian?" I asked slowly.

His smile fell as he nodded. "Yes, Chrystal. That's me. How are you?"

I felt that tug at my heart again, the same one I get when I stare at my left wrist. Instead of answering him, I looked back down at the mark.

"May I sit with you?" he asked after a moment.

I nodded.

He quickly made his way across the large bedroom and sat beside me on the bed. A moment later, he placed his hand on my shoulder.

My heart fluttered at the contact. My eyes began to water again out of frustration.

Sebastian looked at me and asked, "What's the matter?"

I looked back up at him. "What do I do?"

His expression changed. "I don't understand."

"I'm trapped in here. I want to leave this room. I want to know who I am, who everyone else is." My tears began to fall from my eyes. "Why does my heart hurt when I think about you and you're not here with me? I want to remember what this mark is." I held up my arm. "I want to know who you are to me. My heart felt so happy when I saw you, but I don't understand why."

I closed my eyes and cried into my hands. This wasn't fair. I wanted to be free from this stupid room. I wanted to remember the people who kept claiming to be my friends.

I felt a gust of wind in my hair, then was quickly drawn into a strong embrace.

"Calm down, Chrystal. There is no need to be so upset."

For some reason, his hold and his voice calmed me down. I stopped crying, and slowly the wind died down as well.

All of the sudden, I was aware of what had caused the wind. "I'm so sorry," I said, clinging to his coat. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Sebastian held me tighter. "No, everything is alright, My Love."

I pulled away slightly. "'Love'?"

He smiled softly, then moved his lips to mine.

We only kissed for a moment, but I felt so many emotions run through me as we did. _This is why he's so important to me. I love him._

When he pulled away, he asked, "Does that answer your question? Or maybe you remember something?"

I tried to smile. "I remember that I love you, but that's about it. At least I know now why I felt so many things."

He embraced me again. "It's a start."

There was a beat between us, before he pulled away to face me. "Chrystal, I am so sorry that I hadn't come to see you until now. I wanted to give you time to remember on your own. I thought it would be the best thing for you. I should have known that was wrong. I should have been here. There is no excuse for the fact that I let you suffer in here alone. I will never forgive myself for that."

"No, please. It's okay. There's no point in both of us suffering like that."

He gave me a soft smile. "You really are still my Chrystal. That's good to hear." He then lifted my left arm in between us and made the mark visible to the both of us. "I know you're still confused, and I know it will come back to you in time, but for now, just know that this mark binds us." He then showed me the back of his left hand. On it was a mark that matched mine. "If you are ever in need of anything, whether you be in danger or you are simply lonely, call my name. I will come."

I looked up at him. "Are you leaving?"

He reluctantly nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. I have some things I need to take care of. Besides, I'm sure you need to rest after your little burst of energy.

I hadn't noticed until then, but I was a little tired.

"You're still adjusting to this life and these powers of yours. Rest up, and I'll come visit you again tomorrow." He leaned forward and kissed me again. "I swear to you, My Love, I will not let you suffer alone anymore."

I nodded, and then he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day went by slowly. I spent time with a demon named Lisa, who tried to teach me how to control my outbursts.

“Chrystal, I do believe I should tell you of the other powers you’ve demonstrated in the past. If they were to happen again, I wouldn’t want you to be confused or scared.” She was watching me kindly, and patiently waited for a response. I simply nodded my head, intrigued as to what else I was able to do besides control wind.

“Before you were transformed, you could see into the future, teleport, and overpower other demons’ mind control on yourself and other humans.” She smiled warmly then. “You saved Sarah’s and your own life with that last one.”

I frowned.

“Yes, I know. You don’t remember and they all sound a little out there, but I promise it is the truth. I would never lie to you, Chrystal. I’ve watched over you for a very long time. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

I didn’t respond to her sentiments. “I did all of that… as a human?” That sounded impossible.

“Yes, you did. You’ve always been a very gifted child, my dear.” She turned then, as if looking for something on the walls, but the only things hanging were dull portraits of old castles and towns. “I hate to say it, but I should be going now. You have much to work on on your own. Do not forget what I told you.”

I nodded, even though I had completely forgotten what she had told me because of our conversation just now. My mind was solely focused on trying to remember Lisa from before. The way she looked at me and said ‘my dear’ sounded pleasant and comforting, as if I’d heard it several times before. I wanted to know when. 

After she left, I spent the rest of the evening and most of the night staring at my wrist, deep in thought. I also spent many hours staring at the photographs on the wall. One of them had Sarah and I in it, with three other people, one perhaps Jasmine, but I couldn’t recognize the other two. There was a tall man with messy brown hair and a slightly overweight woman in an apron. Everyone looked so happy. 

The other photo had what appeared to be me several years ago with a man and a woman. They both looked nothing like me, with their dark hair and suntanned skin. We were all smiling together, seemingly very happy. Who were they?

After I finally stopped staring, I thought about what Lisa had said. She’d known me for a very long time. Surely she knew who these people were. 

But what seemed even more important than who the people in the photos were was what she had told me about my powers. I’d been able to see the future? Teleport? Save people? None of it sounded real. But if it was…

I closed my eyes. I wanted to try these powers for myself. If they were real, maybe I could do something about my current situation.

I thought hard, willing the air for a vision. I needed to see something, anything.  _ Please, just give me  _ something.

And as soon as I begged, I felt my body collapse against the bed as images began to form in front of me. 

_ It was dark. I couldn’t see anything. I was no longer in my bedroom. I somehow knew I was far away from it, on the opposite end of this large building I was being confined to.  _

_ Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and I could see my surroundings, though in the vision they were blurry. I could only see what was in front of me. There was a girl my age, staring at me wide eyed.  _

_ “Chrystal?” she asked cautiously. “Are you…?” _

_ “Jasmine!” I exclaimed. I’d finally found her. “Jasmine, I remember. I’m so sorry about what happened, but I remember you now. You’re my-” _

Suddenly, there was a sharp stabbing pain in my skull. I was pulled from my vision as I cried out. I clutched my head, waiting for the pain to subside. When it finally did several moments later, I sat up and stared at my hands. 

I had yet to feel any kind of physical pain since I had awoken in this world. Why did it happen then? Why did it pull me from my vision? What was my brain trying to hide from me?

I shook it off. It was nothing. It had to be nothing. I couldn’t let myself dwell on it. I’d be lost in thought for hours again. I had to keep going. Clearly, I could see visions. Whether or not they were of the future was yet to be proven. Next on the list, teleporting. 

I wasn’t sure exactly how to test this one. How did one move from one place to another instantaneously? I didn’t remember any physical places. I could try looking at the portraits on the walls, but they were most likely fictitious worlds.  _ Maybe instead of a place _ , I thought,  _ I could think of a person? _

I closed my eyes once again, this time trying to decide who I wanted to see. But my heart already knew the answer. 

_ Sebastian. _

There was a slight breeze through my hair. I pictured the man I loved in my mind. His hair, his eyes, his smile. It was like traveling through time. I could see him. He was cleaning, carrying me, tending my wounds, staring at me with worry, kissing me-

Again, the same sharp pain pulled me back to reality. Once again I held my head and waited for the pain to subside. It seemed to take longer this time, but it eventually did leave. 

I looked at my surroundings. I was still in my bedroom, but this time I was sitting in front of the door. 

_ Did I teleport? _ I asked myself, confused.  _ Or did I just stand up and walk over here while I was concentrated? _

I didn’t know. I glanced back down at the mark on my wrist.  _ “If you are ever in need of anything, whether you be in danger or you are simply lonely, call my name. I will come.” _

My eyes filled with tears. “Sebastian.”


	3. Chapter 3

The door never opened, yet a moment later, there he stood. 

“Chrystal, what happened?” he asked, sounding concerned. 

I looked up to him, and when he saw my tears, he knelt beside me. I immediately latched onto him. The feeling was familiar and comforting. I’d done this before. I’d-

The pain came back again. I yelped and held my head as Sebastian wrapped his arms around me. 

“What is it, My Love? What’s happening?” His voice sounded both gentle and urgent, like he wanted to comfort me but also knew something wasn’t right. 

The pain dulled once again until it was nonexistent, and I finally was able to speak. “I think I’m trying to remember things,” I whimpered, “but each time I get close there’s this horrible pain in my head…”

He didn’t say anything, but his hold on me tightened. “And why are you on the floor?”

I turned to him and smiled a little through my tears. “I was trying to teleport to you.”

He seemed taken aback. “Who told you-”

“Lisa,” I told him. “While she was trying to teach me earlier, she told me what other powers I had. I can apparently see the future, teleport, and overpower mind control.” I looked up at him. “Is it true? Can I do those things?”

He gave me a soft smile and nodded. “I’ve witnessed all of them with my own eyes. How else would you explain the fact that you’re on the floor in front of your bedroom door? You don’t remember walking, do you?”

I shook my head. 

“When we first realized you weren’t in control of your powers, we had a barrier put around the room. It is supposed to prevent you from teleporting out.” He gave an amused smile. “It seems it works.”

My heart plummeted. “You really don’t want me to leave, do you?”

His smile fell. “Chrystal, I want nothing more than for you to be free to wander the halls and the grounds as much as you desire, but for everyone’s safety, including your own, we must keep you in here.”

“Why are you concerned for  _ my  _ safety?” I asked, even more confused. “If I have all of these powers, what is there to worry about? I understand not wanting me to hurt anyone, but I just don’t understand why I’d be in danger.”

Sebastian looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to tell me but knew he shouldn’t. It was a look I somehow knew I’d never seen from him before. 

“Sebastian,” I said, my voice lowered and tinged with fear, “where are we? What’s out there?”

He sighed. “I cannot give you all of the details. It may overwhelm you. For now I will tell you that there are some demons who were against the turning of you and your friends. There are also others that relish in picking on the unstable. We are doing this to protect you from them. They know how to control their powers. You won’t be able to fend them off so easily.”

There were people that didn’t want me turned into a demon? That didn’t make any sense. Why would anyone be against me becoming one of them? I was nobody. However, being guarded like this was definitely weird for someone who was just a simple, unextraordinary demon. Maybe I was something more.

At that, the pain appeared once again, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out as I leaned against Sebastian. He held me tightly as we waited for the pain to pass. When it did, I pulled away. 

“Why is this happening? Every time I try to remember something on my own, it seems, there’s this horrible sharp pain…”

Sebastian placed his hand on my head and stroked my hair. The touch was comforting, and I didn’t want to ever move away from it, no matter how much I despised this room. 

Then, I got an idea. “Sebastian, I want to test something.” I didn’t wait for him to answer as I pulled away from him and stood. 

He stood as well, and I led him over to my bed, where I sat down and turned to stare at the pictures on the wall. “I want to know if you telling me things will trigger the same pain. Please.”

He stared at me, clearly uncertain. 

“You don’t have to tell me anything about me or where we are. I know you can’t. I just…” I saw him follow my gaze to the pictures. “I want to know who they are.”

He gave a small smile, then sat beside me and pointed to the picture with me, Sarah, Jasmine, and two others. He pointed at the man first. “This is Thomas. He was your butler back when you were human, as was I.”

I looked at him. “Really? I had servants?”

He smiled, nodding. “You were very wealthy. Your parents had hired them, and they all became your good friends.”

“Were Sarah and Jasmine servants, too?”

He nodded again. “Sarah was your nanny and maid, while Jasmine was your gardener.” He then pointed at the woman in the picture who was slightly overweight with dark blonde hair. “This is Maia, your cook. You asked her and Thomas to also become demons with you, but they politely declined, and they now live at your manor and make sure everything is taken care of.”

I stared at the picture, at the faces of Thomas and Maia. I wanted to remember. They were my friends. Something in the back of my mind, though, told me they were much more than that. 

I pointed at the second picture. “What about this one? Who are they?”

His smile faded slightly, but was still there, just sadder. “Those, My Love, are your parents.”


	4. Chapter 4

I blinked, then looked from the pictures to Sebastian. "My parents? Really? But I look nothing like them."

"And the reason for that is something I, unfortunately, cannot tell you. I can tell you, however, that you loved them deeply."

"And what did they have to say about all of this?" I asked him. "Surely normal parents wouldn't want their child to become a demon."

His smile was gone now, and I stared at him, confused. Had they said something horrible when I'd left? Was it something I shouldn't remember?

"They died about a few weeks before I met you, Chrystal. Over five years ago, now."

I stared back at the picture, and I felt my heart break. Suddenly, images went through my mind. My parents, smiling at me warmly, or disciplining me with sad eyes. I saw us in the car together, Dad driving, Mom looking over her shoulder at me.

The pain came back again, more intense than ever. I cried out and held my head in my hands. I felt Sebastian reach out and wrap his arms around me, but this time, the images didn't stop. I watched the scenes play out, as if I was a bystander for all of them. I watched from the side of the road as the car appeared out of thin air and struck our car head on, then vanished into nothingness as my body flew through the windshield. A familiar female figure dressed in black jumped forward suddenly and caught my limp body. She held me close for a moment, then gently placed me on the ground before pulling out a phone and calling for help. She sat the phone on the ground, then disappeared.

I was crying hard when I finally came back to reality. Sebastian was holding me tightly, rocking me back and forth, trying to calm me. He was whispering to me, but I couldn't hear him, couldn't understand as my mind tried to sort through what it had just seen.

We sat like that for several minutes. I cried while my head throbbed, so much so that I didn't notice when the door opened and another figure stepped into the room.

I did notice, however, when Sebastian lifted his head away from mine to look up. "Lisa." His tone sounded scared, but also relieved at the sight of the other demon.

There was a beat, then the other demon was beside us. I felt her hand on my back. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I am afraid I may have said too much-" Sebastian started.

I gripped onto his arms tightly. "N-no, you didn't," I tried, attempting to get a hold of myself. The pain did not want to leave this time, as if it was punishing me for remembering something. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, somehow managing a small smile. "I remember my parents now because of you. Thank you."

His smile in return was forced. "Chrystal, I didn't mean to-"

I shook my head, my tears returning. "Please, stop apologizing. You did nothing wrong. I asked you to tell me." The tears fell down my face then, like small waterfalls. "I don't understand why I've forgotten everything. How could I forget my own parents? My best friends?" I clung to Sebastian even tighter. "How did I forget that I love you?"

He didn't move. The two of us sat there for a long moment, him staring down at me while I cried softly. Lisa stood beside us, watching with concern.

I sniffed, trying to compose myself. "I'm sorry. I remembered the accident. I didn't mean to break down like that..." I turned my teary eyes toward Lisa. "You saved me that day, right? Have I ever thanked you?"

Lisa smiled at me, placing a gentle hand on my head once again. "No thanks was necessary. I wasn't going to let anything happen to our little princess."

Sebastian's gaze left me for the first time since Lisa arrived, and fell on her. His stare was full of an emotion I couldn't place.

Lisa only smiled. "I only came to check on you, dear. I'm glad you're starting to remember. Once you do I have full faith you will be able to control your powers and leave this room."

I wanted to say something else, anything else, to make her stay a little longer, to see if there was anything I could get her to say that would trigger another memory. I didn't care about the pain anymore. I would deal with it if it meant remembering my life as a human and learning to control my powers. But she left the room before I could think of something to grab her attention. 

I looked back up at Sebastian, this time seeing him clearly instead of blurred by tears. He was studying me carefully, as if making sure I was alright. I barely noticed that the pain had finally left my head as I saw his windblown hair. I turned and glanced around. The blankets were no longer on the bed. Several paintings were on the floor, and books were scattered across the hardwood, some open, others with ripped pages.

I returned my hands to the sides of my head. "I didn't-"

Sebastian pulled me against him. "You were in your vision when it happened, you couldn't have noticed. No one was hurt, My Love. Everything is alright."

"No, it's not. I'm supposed to be learning to control this. I could have hurt someone again."

"You didn't hurt Jasmine. She's perfectly fine."

I pulled away from him. "Really?"

Sebastian smiled. "Something you'll need to be getting used to is it takes more than that to hurt a demon. Yes, she took a nasty fall, but she was unharmed physically. She only hasn't come back to see you because she doesn't want to set you off again. I've told her you were harmless, but..."

I dared to gaze at him hopefully. "So she isn't mad at me?"

His smile softened. "I do not believe she could ever be angry with you."

I tried to think of what he meant. Surely she could be mad at me. Anyone had the ability to be angry with someone. Then, there was another, more intense pain. I cried out, and the world went dark. 


	5. Chapter 5

_I saw her. It was weeks after the accident, and I'd finally been allowed to go home. Sarah was helping me out of the car when my eyes locked onto the strange girl on the porch. She wore casual clothes, a t-shirt and jeans, and was watching me nervously._

_I looked up to Sarah. "Who's that?"_

_Sarah followed my pointing finger. "Oh, that's Jasmine. I hadn't realized you weren't already acquainted."_

_My mind went back to just before the crash, when Mom was telling me about this new servant. "No," I told Sarah, my voice low as I tried not to cry, "I haven't had the pleasure."_

_She stared down at me for a brief moment, then helped me stand and walked me to the front door._

_"H-hello, Miss Foster," Jasmine greeted nervously. "Welcome home. My name is Jasmine. My condolences about what happened."_

_I only nodded to her. I wasn't in the mood to talk. My head was beginning to hurt._

_"Sarah, I want to go lie down," I whined, moving a hand to my bandaged head._

_"Is it hurting you again? Let's get you upstairs and I'll find some medicine."_

_I responded by walking forward. Jasmine stepped aside to let us pass, and as the doors closed, I heard someone muttering "I'm so sorry. She's usually not like this, but she's been through a great deal."_

_I turned to look back for a moment, and saw Jasmine smiling brightly at whoever was speaking to her. "Oh, it's no problem at all! I hope she feels better soon so we can be friends."_

_The doors closed then, and Sarah led me up the stairs and into bed._

_*_

_The next day, as I was eating breakfast in the dining room, Jasmine entered with a plate of her own. "Is it okay if I join you, Miss Foster?"_

_Only when I looked up and saw her face did I realize I was crying. I quickly wiped the tears away. "I don't mind. I think I'd like the company."_

_She smiled, then sat in the empty chair beside me. "How's your head? Does it still hurt?"_

_"Sarah gave me some more medicine this morning. I'm okay for now."_

_There was an awkward silence._

_"I'm sorry you won't be able to work here for very long," I told her._

_She gave me a puzzled look. "Why's that?"_

_"Because I'm an orphan now. Eating here alone was enough for me to finally realize they're gone. They won't let me stay here with the others. The court decided to send me off to an orphanage somewhere."_

_"Oh," was all she said._

_I looked up at her suddenly. "But the last thing I told Mom before the crash was that I hoped to be your friend. Please, while I'm still here, can we be friends?"_

_Jasmine smiled. "Of course we can!"_

_At that, I smiled for the first time in weeks. I'd never had a real friend before. Even if it was only going to be for a limited amount of time, at least I could do this one thing, both for myself, and for my mom._

_*_

_"So," I said to Jasmine a couple days later, "what's your story?"_

_"My story?" she asked._

_"Yeah. Everyone here is someone with no other place to go. I just was wondering why you came to work and live here."_

_"Really? The others all have stories?"_

_I nodded. "Yup. Sarah's father has amnesia and doesn't remember her, and I think Thomas and Maia both ran away for some reason or another." I watched her. We were in the middle of cleaning my bedroom and packing my necessities for the orphanage. I was trying to distract myself by asking Jasmine different questions about herself. "So? What is it?"_

_Jasmine, seeming to sense my reasoning, smiled and put down the shirt she was folding. "I ran away too. After my mother died, my father and siblings became abusive, and I'd had enough. There isn't much more to it, really."_

_"_ _Wow, I'm sorry you had to go through that."_

_She shook her head, still smiling. "No need for you to be sorry. It was a mistake my family made. I'm just happy I was able to get away from it."_

_I smiled at her. "Me too. Especially because I get to have my very first friend now."_

_Her smile grew, as did our conversation, the chores forgotten as we discussed our pasts, presents, and futures. Somehow, in that moment, we agreed that no matter where life took us, we would be the best of friends forever._

***

I sat up slowly, rubbing my aching head. It was dark in the room. I assumed I'd slept away the afternoon and it was the middle of the night now. Not that the room I was in had any windows. The only way I ever knew the time of day was based on how brightly the candles were burning. Now they were emitting very little light, letting me know it was indeed late.

Movement on the bed beside me startled me, and I jumped and backed away. The figure sat up slowly, carefully, as if it, too, was scared of me. It only took a moment for me to see the shoulder length brown hair, and I realized who was beside me.

"Jasmine?"

She stared at me through the darkness. "Chrystal. Sebastian let me in. He said you wanted to see me. I guess I fell asleep waiting for you to wake up..."

"Don't worry about that. It's fine." I turned my gaze to the candle on the bedside table, wondering if there was any way to brighten the room so we could talk. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, the candle before me and several others all came to life with bright orange flames.

I started at the sudden brightness, but quickly shook it off and looked at Jasmine. She was watching me in return, a small smile on her face.

Suddenly, I remembered my dream. "Jasmine, I-"

"Sebastian said you passed out suddenly. Are you alright?"

I nodded, then smiled at her before turning my own gaze to the photographs on the wall. "I don't understand what's causing this horrible pain that's preventing me from remembering things, but while I was out, I did remember something."

I saw her perk up out the corner of my eye. "Really? That's amazing! What did you remember?"

I returned my gaze to her, my smile brightening at her excitement. "I remembered you. Our friendship. I remember meeting you."

Jasmine smiled widely, and I saw tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry about what happened when I woke up, Jasmine. I was so confused-"

"No. Don't apologize to me. I shouldn't have run up to you like that. It's not your fault that you lost your memories, or that you can't control your powers." Her smile softened. "I'm just glad you're slowly getting your memories back. I can't wait to hang out with you again."

"Honestly, I think I might be remembering everything too quickly. Maybe that's what's causing the headaches. Maybe I should be focusing on my powers for a little while so I can get myself out of this room."

Jasmine nodded, yawning. "That sounds like a good idea, but let's save it for tomorrow. Just because we're demons now doesn't mean we can't enjoy a good night's sleep."

I smiled and nodded, then we both tucked ourselves in, and I managed to drift into a dreamless sleep as the candles once again dulled their flames.


	6. Chapter 6

I awoke to the door slamming open. The next thing I knew, I was being thrown across the room by an invisible force.

"Chrystal!" Jasmine screamed as my back slammed into the stone wall and I fell to the floor.

I sat up and shook off the lingering pain, then looked up to see what had just happened. There was a tall man standing in the doorway, with fiery red hair and black clothes. He glared at me.

I stood slowly, leaning back against the wall. The pain was gone now, but the fear of this man's gaze kept me nearly immobile.

"How pathetic," he spat, approaching me.

I wanted to look at Jasmine, to tell her to run, but I found I couldn't look away from this demon's crimson eyes. His gaze was terrifying, and I knew something bad would happen if I were to look away.

Once he passed the bed, I saw in my peripheral Jasmine jump up and run for the door. _Good,_ I thought. _I'm glad you'll be safe._

The demon stomped over and cornered me. "So _you're_ the girl from the prophecy, huh?" He reached out suddenly and wrapped his large hands around my throat. "Come on then, Your Highness. Fight me off."

I clawed at his hands. "Please, I don't know what you're talking about," I choked out.

"You know exactly what you are. But I'm here to prove we don't need a queen. We were just fine before, and we will be after I end you!"

His grip around me tightened, and I didn't know what to do. It wasn't that I needed the air, but his hold was painful, and surely if I didn't get away he would find a way to kill me. I finally looked away from his eyes, and searched frantically for an exit. Then I saw it.

The door was open.

That was it. That was my escape. But first I had to get out of this man's arms.

I closed my eyes tight. _I can teleport,_ I reminded myself. _I can do this._

 _"When we first realized you weren't in control of your powers, we had a barrier put around the room. It is supposed to prevent you from teleporting out."_ Sebastian's voice rang in my head. _"It seems it works."_

Even with the door open, that barrier he mentioned would probably still keep me from using my power to escape. _Looks like I'll have to do this in steps._

With that thought, I squeezed my eyes closed even tighter and told myself repeatedly: _The door. The door. The door._

There was a moment where my body tingled. The floor fell out from under me, then immediately returned. I was happy when I opened my eyes and saw the open door in front of me. The intruder was behind me, staring at his hands. He turned to see me still in the room, scowled, then gave chase.

I ran through the open door and turned randomly down hallways and corridors. I had no idea where I was. All I knew was that it was time for step two.

"Get back here you worthless little-"

I tuned him out and closed my eyes as I continued to run straight ahead. _Sebastian._ I thought desperately. _Please, take me to Sebastian._

Once again, I felt the same sensations. The tingling, the floor disappearing and reappearing, and before I could open my eyes, there was a collection of gasps and strong arms pulling me to a familiar embrace.

The room was immediately filled with whispers of "It's her!" and "Oh, my!" along with "The queen!" Sebastian pulled me closer, keeping my face buried in his chest.

"How did you get here, My Love? What happened?"

It was only when I went to answer him that I noticed the tears in my eyes. I felt myself quivering.

"Sebastian! What happened?" came a familiar voice.

I tried to turn my head to see who was speaking, but Sebastian held me tighter. "It's Lisa, Chrystal. Do not worry."

I gripped his clothes tightly, burying my face in his chest.

Someone gently placed a hand on top of my head. I flinched at the contact, but when it didn't move to hurt me, I relaxed.

"I see now," Lisa's voice said beside me. Her hand began to comfortingly pet my hair.

There was a long moment of silence, and I assumed Sebastian was staring at Lisa quizzically, just as I wanted to do.

Suddenly, Lisa clapped her hands together once. "Alright everyone, we will continue this meeting at a later time. I need everyone out of here for now."

The people around us began grumbling, and I couldn't make out what they were saying. I heard footsteps and what sounded like clothes shifting around as people made their way out of the room.

Once it was quiet again, Lisa spoke. "Someone-"

"Sebastian! Lisa!" a familiar voice screamed.

They both turned, Sebastian holding me closer.

"Jasmine, what-"

"Chrys, she-" she stopped, then continued, "Oh, I'm so glad she's alright."

"She was attacked. Luckily, Jasmine left the door open and Chrystal was able to escape," Lisa informed Sebastian.

I held onto him even tighter.

"Chrystal, whatever he told you, don't worry about it for now." Her voice was gentle next to my ear. "I know you're confused, but you really shouldn't stress yourself. Focus on remembering and controlling your powers."

I wanted to face her. I wanted to know where I was and why Sebastian was refusing to let me see. I wanted to know what everyone had meant by 'the prophecy' and 'the queen'.

"I'm going to go search for this traitor," Lisa said after a moment. "I trust the both of you can get her back to her room safely?"

There was silence as I assume they both nodded.

"Good. Stay with her until I come tell you otherwise. It might be good for at least one other person to be with her for a while until we know how many people may be conspiring against her."

"I don't understand," I whimpered, curling over myself. "What's wrong with me that people want to hurt me?" My tears came back as I relaxed my hold on Sebastian defeatedly. "I know you said I was vulnerable right now because I can't control myself, but that can't be it." I managed to look up and meet his gaze. "What prophecy? What queen? I don't understand."

When no one answered, I sighed, then lay my head on Sebastian's chest again. "But no one is going to tell me. No one wants to worry me or overwhelm me." I clenched my fists. "If you won't tell me what's going on, then fine. But at least let someone teach me how to defend myself. I don't want to depend on everyone else forever."

There was a pause between us, and when I glanced back up, Sebastian was smiling at me.

"What?" I asked.

"I think you're ready," was all he said.


	7. Chapter 7

Sebastian carried me back to my room, and Jasmine followed us. Once we were inside, Sebastian dismissed himself for a moment, closing the door behind him.

"What is he doing?" I asked my friend. "What am I ready for?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe he knows of a better way to help you with your powers."

I turned my gaze back to the closed door. For some reason, I knew that wasn't right. He had gone to fetch something, but what?

We weren't left waiting long. A few minutes passed before the door opened again. Sebastian entered, holding something in his hands.

I stared at them. The candlelight reflected off the iron, and when Sebastian held them out to me, I knew they were significant.

"Swords?" I asked cautiously.

Both Jasmine and Sebastian dropped their gazes to the blades, and I continued to stare at them as well. They looked like normal twin blades.

"They were your mother's," Jasmine told me gently as I took the swords. "When she died, they were passed on to you like everything else. You decided to learn to use them, and Sebastian trained you to do so."

I looked up at him. "Really?"

Sebastian's expression was unreadable as he nodded. "You were actually quite skilled with them, far more than any other human I'd ever witnessed. I was hoping that if you saw them you may remember how to use them."

I returned my gaze to the swords in my hands and tried desperately to remember anything about them: using them, how to use them, seeing them around. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. This was one memory that seemed to insist on staying locked away.

I could do nothing but turn my helpless gaze toward Sebastian.

He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Do not worry yourself over it. I don't need you to remember them, I need you to relearn to fight with them."

I stared at him. "Sebastian, I don't think-"

A gentle hand on my arm stopped me mid sentence. I looked over to Jasmine, who was smiling encouragingly. "Just try, Chrystal. I'm sure at least how to use them will come back to you if you try."

I looked between her and the swords, then nodded. "I'll try."

Her smile widened. "Good. I'm going to go and see if I can help Lisa find the one who attacked you. Sebastian will be more helpful then I will be if he were to come back, anyway. I want to make myself useful somewhere."

I gave her a knowing smile and nodded again. "Alright. Be careful."

She hugged me tight and left the room with a wave, being sure to close the door securely behind her.

I turned to Sebastian, a new thought hitting me. "If he knows where my room is, then what's stopping him from coming back?"

He smiled. "Someone is going to come by very soon and change the outside lock, and only those of us with special keys will be able to come inside. And the door shall remain locked from the inside, preventing you from opening it to anyone."

"Even myself," I muttered.

His smile saddened. "Yes, but I believe what Lisa said is a wise idea. Someone should remain with you until this matter is resolved." His gaze on me was loving, and I believed everything he said. "I am going to remain here with you unless something urgent comes up. Should that happen, I will call one of your friends to come and stay until I can return."

My heart jumped happily at the idea of no longer being alone, and the fact that Sebastian was going to be staying with me. I needed him. I was lost, confused, and scared, and he was one of the only people I knew I could cling to if need be. I beamed at him. "I'm glad. Thank you."

"You should know I'd do anything for you, My Love," he said. "Now, let's work on teaching you to use those swords."

*

The bedroom we were in was large, so there was plenty of space for us to practice. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to learn to fight. It was like I had never forgotten how to hold my swords, or how to defend myself from Sebastian's oncoming attacks. The training we were doing felt familiar, and I smiled at the fact that my body remembered how to protect itself.

"You're doing well," Sebastian complimented after I dodged a punch he'd thrown at me.

I pushed my hair out of my face and smiled at him. "You aren't so bad yourself."

He straightened himself then, smoothing out his clothes. "I believe you've earned yourself a break. It's been several hours."

I blinked at him, lowering my swords. "Really?"

He nodded.

I lowered my head. There were no clocks or windows in my room. I hadn't known anything about the time since I woke up, other than the brightness of the candles. All I knew was what Sarah had told me. I'd been here roughly a week, and I was still nowhere near able to control my outbursts.

I relaxed myself and lowered my swords, taking several steps back until I was able to sit on the bed. I sat the swords beside me and looked at my hands. Staring back at me was the black mark on my wrist, my pale skin, and my inky black fingernails. "That's strange. I don't feel tired."

Sebastian came over and joined me on the bed. He sat beside me with a smile. "That would be because you have increased stamina now. I'm sure you would've been fine to continue, but as this is all still new, I don't want to push you too hard."

I nodded, not quite sure I understood, but I knew he wouldn't go into detail if I asked. He was so worried about overwhelming or hurting me. Had something happened before to make him this nervous, or was it simply what it meant to love someone? Had I ever worried this much for him?

I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Sebastian."

"Yes, My Love?"

"I want you to tell me everything."

He pulled away slightly. "Chrystal-"

"I don't care what Lisa says. I don't care if I get another headache. I want to know. I deserve to know. I don't want to sit around being useless and confused. There is a reason that man wanted me dead, and I have the right to know what that reason is."

"Of course you do, but-"

I pulled away and stared up at him. His eyes were wide, while mine were narrowed as I tried to convince him. "I've been here for a week, Sebastian. I'm tired of waiting around for my memories. Clearly, I need help."

Sebastian's expression changed to one of confusion. "You've been here much longer than a week, Chrystal."

I lost my determination at his remark. "But Sarah said-"

His face fell. "My Love, it's been about a week since you woke up. Before that, you were unconscious for several months."


	8. Chapter 8

My eyes opened wide in shock. "What?"

"I didn't realize no one had told you. It's been nearly three months since you and your friends were turned."

_**(Gosh, I hate calling it "turned". Makes me feel like I've made them all into vampires.)** _

I looked down at my hands again. "Why would it take that long for me to wake up?"

"No one knows. I think we all just decided it was taking you longer because you-" he paused, then continued, "have unique circumstances."

"Which I was just asking you to tell me about," I reminded him. "If you're trying to change the subject in hopes that I'll forget my request-"

"No, Chrystal. I just thought you would want to know. That's why Jasmine was so excited when she saw you awake. She'd been living in this unfamiliar place without you. It was beginning to drive her mad."

I thought of Jasmine, running at me the way she did when I woke up. I thought about how I accidentally flung her across the room as she startled me.

"So you'll tell me this, but won't tell me the reason I was turned into a demon in the first place?" I asked, looking back up at him. "I've had enough. I understand I'm powerful. I understand that telling me may overwhelm me, but I know I'll be able to get through that. I have you, Sarah, Jasmine, and Lisa to cling to. I can handle anything as long as I have all of you." I felt tears forming in my eyes, and I looked away again. "I remember that I love you. I remember that Jasmine is my best friend. I remember the death of my parents. But I need to know more." I paused, hugging myself, before continuing in a soft whisper. "Don't you think it's cruel to keep someone's whole life away from them? And what prophecy was that man talking about? Why did everyone call me a queen?"

I was shaking now. I was beyond confused, and my mind wanted answers. No matter how badly I wanted to stop thinking and relax, my brain was whirling with ideas and more questions. I wasn't a queen. I'd never heard of a prophecy. Surely something as significant as this someone would have told me.

Suddenly, I felt arms wrap around me. I leaned myself into Sebastian's embrace, feeling my mind slowly begin to calm itself. I heard the sound of metal hitting the floor as he moved my swords from the bed, then he laid us down against the pillows. He pulled me closer to him, and I curled myself up against his chest. "Relax for now, My Love. I shall speak to the others about getting your questions answered. You have a right to remember your past, and I don't want to keep it from you any longer."

"I want to remember. I want to remember my friends, my family. I want to remember meeting you, why we're connected the way we are..." I rambled as I cried. "I want to remember being happy. I want to remember..."

Sebastian pulled me closer, cradling me against him. He soothingly pet my head as I slowly cried myself to sleep.

*

When I awoke again, I was still wrapped in Sebastian's arms. I snuggled closer to him, the familiarity of the action was comforting.

He chuckled and pulled me closer. "Good morning, My Love."

"Morning," I mumbled in response.

We lay there in a comfortable silence for a few moments longer, then I was startled at a knock on the door.

Sebastian placed a comforting hand on my head as he slowly sat up and went to see who was outside. The door opened to reveal Sarah, Jasmine, and Lisa.

"Sorry to interrupt," Lisa spoke, "but these two have been dying to see you, and I must speak with Sebastian for a moment."

I nodded as I wiped the sleep from my eyes. "He wants to speak with you, too." I told her, remembering the conversation he and I had had.

Lisa glanced between the two of us and nodded. Sebastian looked back at me with a smile that said he promised he'd return, then left as the girls entered, the door closing between them.

After a moment, Sarah and Jasmine raced to the side of the bed. "Jasmine and Lisa told me everything," Sarah said, her concern evident. "I'm so glad you're alright."

I could only give her a weak smile. Physically, yes, I was fine, but I was left even more confused than I had been all week.

We were all silent for a long moment, none of us knowing what to say. Deciding I didn't want to talk about the intruder from yesterday, I looked back to Sarah. "I know you can't tell me very much, but..."

She gave me a sad smile and placed her hand over mine. "Ask me anything, Chrys. I'll give you the best answer I can."

"You've been really nice to me, and Sebastian said we were friends and that you worked for me, but just how close were we? I had a dream and remembered meeting Jasmine, and you were in it, but I don't remember much else. You came to work for me..." I paused, trying to remember what I had said in the dream. Suddenly, my eyes went wide. "You lived with us because your dad had amnesia. I've forgotten you just like he did. I'm so sorry..."

Her hand over mine tightened. "No, Chrys, don't think about that. There is a large difference between your amnesia and his. Your memories are slowly coming back. Even if my father was capable of remembering, I don't think he'd want to. He didn't seem very enthusiastic about his treatments, or very adamant about keeping up with his exercises." She gave me a small smile. "It is hard going through someone you care about forgetting who you are, and having to deal with it twice broke my heart, but I hold no resentment toward you for it. And to answer your question, we were, and I'd like to think we still are, very close."

I sniffed, trying not to cry. "Really?"

She nodded, her smile growing. "Really."

Just then, the door opened to reveal Sebastian and Lisa. They both quickly stepped inside, closing the door behind them. I stared up at Sebastian hopefully.

Lisa was the one to speak, and her words made me feel anxious all over again.

"Ladies," she said, addressing my friends, "I'd take a seat. We have much to discuss."


	9. Chapter 9

My friends and I looked at each other, then they began to sit on the bed with me.

"Actually," Lisa said suddenly, "Sarah, Jasmine, maybe you should sit over here. This is merely a precaution, but if something I say sets Chrystal off again, I know it would much easier to calm her down if you aren't in the way. We can't let her be thinking she's hurt you."

They glanced at me, and I gave them a small smile and nodded. Lisa was right. It would take a long time to get me out of that again if I thought I'd hurt my two best friends.

After another moment, they nodded and went to sit on a couch in the room closer to the door. Lisa stood near them, and I knew they would be safe.

Lisa smiled. "Good. Now Chrystal, if I say anything that angers you, upsets you, or triggers a memory and you feel you need a moment, tell me and I will stop."

I perked up at that. "Are you finally going to tell me the truth?" My gaze turned to Sebastian. "Are you finally going to tell me who I am?"

They both looked at each other, then turned back to me and nodded. I felt a weight lift from my heart. Finally, they were going to tell me everything.

"But you'll do as I just told you, yes? I want to prevent you from losing control of yourself, and I want to protect you. If you even feel slightly uncomfortable-"

"Lisa, why are you so worried? Sure, I've had headaches, but you seem more concerned than you should be."

She froze, her expression falling. She looked as though she'd been found out. What was she so worried about? Was she hiding something from me?

Eventually, she sighed. "I simply have theories about why you've been acting the way you have. All the sleeping, and amnesia, the lack of control. It isn't normal, even for someone as powerful as you are."

Sebastian turned to Lisa, his eyes narrowing. "You believe her to be cursed, don't you?"

My eyes widened, as did Sarah's and Jasmine's. Lisa looked down at her feet, nodding.

"It's the only explanation I can think of. Someone is trying to suppress her powers. We already know by the attack earlier that there are people who do not side with us. One of them is trying to make sure she is weak so she'll be an easier target." She looked up at me again. "I do not know if this will help to break it, but I'm going to tell you everything. Once you know, you can train yourself accordingly, and hopefully we'll be able to help you break free from whatever curse binds you."

I gulped. "But I might not be cursed... I might just have amnesia, and sleep a lot for a demon. Maybe I'm just lazy-"

"Chrys, you are the farthest from lazy I have ever seen in my life. You hate lying around and doing nothing, and you always are the first to jump into action when something happens or someone needs help," Jasmine said. "Either Lisa is right and you're cursed, or you have some sort of demon disease..."

"Those don't exist," Lisa told her quickly. "We do not become sick like humans do. The only thing that could make us 'sickly' would be magic."

Everyone stared at me, as if they could tell from examining me if I was cursed or not. Uncomfortable being the center of attention, I looked down at my hands, at the mark on my wrist.

"Start with this," I said softly, holding up my arm and lifting my gaze to Sebastian. "I feel like this is what started everything that's happening here, and I would like you to start from the beginning."

And so they did. Sebastian, with some help from Sarah and Jasmine, told me about how we met, what the mark we shared meant, and everything that happened over the four years of our contract. As he spoke, I would see flashes of images from the past. I saw him saving me from kidnappers, hiding me in a cave, taking care of me for a month as we hid from the police and my attackers. I saw the first time he kissed me, and I remembered all of the emotions I'd felt during those four years.

They paused after he told me about how he'd refused to end our contract. "Anything?" Jasmine asked anxiously.

I didn't respond right away. My brain was still sorting through memories, processing what I'd been told. Another headache was slowly forcing itself upon me, and I was desperately trying to keep it at bay. The last thing I wanted to do was pass out again.

Eventually, I slowly nodded. The others made delighted noises, but I couldn't share their excitement. I held my head tightly in my hands. "I need a minute..." I told them quietly.

Sebastian was beside me before I even finished my sentence. He wrapped his arms around me comfortingly, as I closed my eyes and sorted through lost memories.

As the images slowed, the headache began to ebb away, and at some point, the memories I'd been seeing had been replaced with that which I had never seen before.

_The demon from the attack, the one with the fiery red hair, was making his way down the halls. His face was contorted with fury. He clearly had something on his mind._

_He stopped moments later in front of a sealed door with an elaborate lock. He scowled, then slowly smiled._

I gasped as the room that had been my only home for the past several months came back into view. Lisa, Sarah, and Jasmine were watching me with great concern, while Sebastian was still holding me tightly.

"That man..." I whispered. "He's coming..."

Lisa turned toward the door. "Sebastian."

He nodded, then stood. I grabbed his arm.

He looked back at me. "What is it?"

"You weren't done. Tell me why I'm here. There's still almost a year you haven't told me about, isn't there?"

His shoulders slumped slightly. "Chrystal, we must prioritize your safety at the moment. We will finish telling you everything once Lisa-"

"And why is Lisa suddenly in charge of everything?" I shouted. "You've never taken orders from anyone but me, so why now?"

I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't for him to kneel in front of me, smiling softly.

"You _are_ beginning to remember. That's wonderful. My Love, I do only take orders from you. Lisa and I simply have the same goal. It is in my best interest to work with her in order to keep you safe. Now, I advise you to stay here with your friends while we check outside. Your visions about oncoming threats have never been wrong. We need to apprehend this man while we can."

I sat motionless for a moment. I didn't know what to say to that. Slowly, I released my grip on his sleeve. "Be careful." I told him softly.

He smiled and stood. "I will be back soon." Then he turned and followed Lisa out of the room.

In that moment, I knew he would return. _He's never broken a promise to me,_ I remembered. _He'll be back._


	10. Chapter 10

I stared at the door as it closed, blocking my view of Sebastian and Lisa as they went to search for this attacker. 

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked. “You’ve been staring at the door for a while now. Surely you know he’ll come back to you.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t keep my chest from tightening. “This anxiety that comes with watching him leave, I’ve felt it so many times before, and yet it never gets any easier.”

Jasmine’s worried expression lifted to a small smile. “He’s done so much to protect you over the last several years, Chrys. Ever since you got out of the hospital after hiding in that cave, I could tell something had changed between the two of you. He looked at you differently, and every time you were in trouble, there was a fear on his face that I’d never seen from him before.” She sighed dramatically then, falling back onto my bed. “Man, I wish you’d told me you loved him. Honestly I should’ve picked up on it, being your friend and all, but I would’ve loved the chance to talk about boys!”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “We still can. Haven’t you seen any cute demon boys you’re interested in?”

Her face suddenly turned bright red. “Um… I-”

Sarah and I laughed at her embarrassment. “You don’t have to tell us anything, Jasmine,” Sarah said. “Besides, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun since Chrystal hasn’t seen them herself yet.”

At that, my mood dropped. “I just hope I can soon. What happens if I really am cursed? If someone really is out there trying to weaken my powers, then I still won’t be able to leave this room since I wouldn’t be able to defend myself.”

“All we can do for now is hope that it really is just amnesia doing these things to you. Once you have your memories back, we can figure out our next step.”

I nodded, then started at a noise coming from the other side of the room. 

The door was being unlocked, and slowly began to open. I sat up stiffly, ready to reach for my swords.  _ There’s no way Sebastian and Lisa would be back already… _

Suddenly, a familiar man with black hair poked his head in. He looked between the three of us, and when his eyes rested on me, he smiled. 

“Hey, Chrystal. Long time, no see.”

The others relaxed at the sight of him, but I continued to stare, letting my mind process who this man was. Suddenly, the images played through my mind. I saw bright red eyes shining in a dark cave, a fire lit and an outstretched hand, the pain of being unable to breathe, then lips on mine as I was slowly healed. I saw him standing before me on a wooden porch, him and Sebastian fighting to protect me, and his worried stare as I begged him to keep my mind calm when my body was wracked with intense fear. 

“...Evan?” I asked softly.

His smile brightened, and he entered the room completely, closing the door behind me. “Glad you remember me. Someone must be doing something right when it comes to helping you get your memories back.”

Sarah and Jasmine both seemed thrilled as well at the fact that I was able to remember him. I smiled a little, starting to feel proud of my accomplishment. 

Evan began to walk toward us. “You have no idea how relieved I was to hear you were awake. I would’ve come and said hi sooner, but Lisa said I should wait until you remembered more. Of course, she would’ve preferred I’d waited until all of your memories were back, but given the current circumstances, that wasn’t an option. She needed someone you knew to come protect you if anything were to happen, so here I am.” He smiled again. “So, how have you been?”

I looked down at my hands, realizing they were clenching my nightgown. “Confused and depressed, mostly.”

He stopped walking. I snuck a quick glance up, and his smile was gone.

“I’m sure you are. It must be so hard not knowing anything about yourself or others. How much have you remembered?”

“Well, everyone was finally telling me everything until I had that vision. I think I remember up until I turned 18, but not much after that.” I looked up at him, his smile was back, but just barely. I smiled at him. “But I remembered bits and pieces once I saw you. You’ve healed me and protected me.”

His smile grew. “That I have. I was simply doing what I had to in order to protect you. You have a unique destiny you need to fulfill.”

I cocked my head in confusion. “A destiny?”

He simply continued to smile. I looked between my two friends, and they both looked slightly alarmed. 

“It has something to do with that prophecy, right? And people calling me a queen?” My grip on my dress tightened. “I know you can’t tell me. At least not without Sebastian in the room. He seems to be the only person who can calm me down when I lose control…”

Evan’s smile returned. “He’s been your rock ever since you spent that month hiding in the cave. He always calmed you down when you were scared and made you feel safe. The love between you two is the strongest I’ve ever seen.”

I tried to smile back. I believed his words, but the fact that Sebastian wasn’t with me now when something bad was going to happen had me shaking again. My fists tightened on my dress, my nails digging into my skin even through the material. 

I felt a hand place itself over mine. “Evan, can’t you-” 

“I doubt it,” he interrupted Sarah. “It started to do more harm than good before she was transformed-”

“Well that was then. This is now. My friend is distressed. It’s the only thing I can think of that will help her.”

I looked up slowly from my hands and glanced between Sarah and Evan, my anxiety skyrocketing. “What is it? What do you want him to do?”

Sarah placed her other hand over her first, trying to comfort me. “He has the power to calm you down. He can help you if you let him. You just can’t fight whatever you feel.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“He helped us while we were worried about you,” Jasmine answered. “While you were unconscious all that time, we worried about you every waking moment. He helped when things got really bad.”

I turned my gaze to Evan. 

He sighed. “I can try, but you can’t fight me off or it will only hurt you. You also won’t be able to fight if something were to happen. You’ll be more vulnerable then you have your entire three months here.”

I tried to think. Lisa, Sebastian, and surely plenty of other demons were outside hunting down this intruder. Even if I couldn’t protect myself, Evan would be able to keep all of us safe. Even with my limited memory, I knew I could trust him. Looking up at him, I nodded. 

“Alright,” he told me. “Just relax.” He walked the rest of the way over to the bed. Jasmine stood as he sat beside me, and I started when he wrapped his arm around me and rested my head on his chest.

Slowly, I felt my body relaxing, and every invasive thought about what could be happening beyond the walls of my room vanished. I leaned further into Evan, and he wrapped his arms around me soothingly. 

“Everything will be alright now,” he whispered.


	11. Chapter 11

I had no idea how much time passed, but by the time everyone returned, the candle flames were low.

Sebastian, Lisa, and a couple of other demons I’d never seen before entered the room. I would’ve been worried, but I couldn’t feel any kind of fear or anxiety with Evan’s hold on me. 

As the door closed behind them, I saw Sebastian’s gaze instantly fall on me. His eyes narrowed for a moment, before a look of understanding crossed his face. “Thank you, Evan. You may release her now.”

At Sebastian’s command, Evan removed his arms from around me, and I felt his hold on my mind vanish. Immediately I felt a wave of relief that Sebastian and Lisa were alright, and as much as I wanted to run to my love, the two standing behind him kept me frozen in place. 

Lisa followed my gaze, then turned back to me. “Don’t mind them, Chrystal. I’m merely showing them the area they will be protecting.”

I turned to look at Lisa, cocking my head in confusion. 

“We were unable to find the person you saw,” Sebastian said, sounding defeated. “We can only assume that your vision wasn’t of the near future, and may be more delayed than usual. As a result, we are posting guards outside your room as an extra precaution. Hopefully they’ll be enough of a deterrent to scare away this man altogether.”

I didn’t say anything. As much as I thought it was a smart idea, I was worried about having two strangers outside my room.

“And they will not have keys to enter this room,” he added, seeming to sense my growing fear. “They will only be guarding the hallway.” He took a step forward. “I fully intend to stay in here with you, and should something happen where I must go, someone else I know you trust will take my place until I am able to return.” He smiled softly at me. “As I said before, someone will always be with you. I will never let you be alone like that again.”

At that, I smiled brightly, and this time I stood and raced over to him. He wrapped me in his arms and held me while I blinked away tears of joy. 

“I’m going to go show these men their posts,” I heard Lisa say. “I’ll be back in a moment.” The door opened and closed, and then silence filled the room again. 

I was the one to break it. “Oh! Sebastian, I didn’t tell you!” I exclaimed, pulling away slightly. “When Evan came into the room, it took me a second, but I remembered him!” A second later, I lost my smile and looked down at the floor. “Some things are still fuzzy, like the places we were and why he was helping me, but I was able to remember who he is…”

Sebastian took my chin with his thumb and forefinger and gently tilted my head up so our gazes met. He was smiling. “I’m very proud of you. Was there any pain this time?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

His smile brightened. “Even better.”

My own smile reappeared. I felt childish exclaiming my small victory, but I was able to remember a part of my past without someone telling me about it. It wasn’t something that happened very often, and I was happy that I was able to remember someone who had definitely been on my side in the past and helped me. 

The door opened again after a beat, and Lisa reentered the room. She was no longer accompanied by the two men. “There. They’ve been assigned to their posts and shouldn’t leave until told otherwise. Now, where were we?”

I looked from her to Sebastian, then back again.

Lisa smiled. “We were trying to get you to remember, weren’t we? Did we leave off at your birthday?”

I nodded, finally understanding. “I think I remember up until about a month after that. Something big must have happened, right?”

Sebastian led me back over to my bed, and I watched as Evan and the others stood to get out of our way. Something about that sight felt weird to me. Maybe it was watching my friends move away from me?

“Yes,” Sebastian said as we sat together. He then recounted to all of us everything that had happened over the course of about a month. James, a police officer, had visited and told me there were still suspects in the cold case of my parents deaths. Then my home had been attacked, and I’d been lured out to a cave to speak with Evan about the future. Then, he told me about the prophecy.

“Wait,” I stopped them, closing my eyes and letting memories sort themselves. When I opened them again, I stared at Sebastian. “I was turned into a demon to become a queen?”

He looked away from me, nodding. “My Love, please do not think this was forced upon you. I made sure you got to choose your fate.” With that, he continued the story. I sent my friends away so they wouldn’t be attacked. My home was attacked yet again, and I was choked and being taken to the hospital when we found Evan and he healed me. Then I was relocated to a small ghost town looking place, where I spent a couple of weeks having visions and discovering my powers. 

“Stop,” I told them again. “I think it’s coming back.” I looked to Sebastian and Lisa. “Sebastian left, and I got really worried and accidentally teleported Lisa and myself to him. Is that right?”

They both smiled and nodded. “And that hotel room was where you chose your destiny,” Lisa said. 

“And I had my last trial in the lobby,” I murmured, then turned to look at Sarah. “That’s where I saved you.”

She smiled sadly, nodding. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”

Lisa spoke up. “Don’t be. Even if you weren’t supposed to be there, because of the events that unfolded, Chrystal unlocked another one of her powers. We are beginning to realize just how powerful she truly is.”

“And all this power,” I said softly, “is the reason people want to kill me?”

“That’s part of it, yes,” Lisa answered. “You are very strong, and some people find it threatening. Others simply know that if they kill you, things will go back to the way they were and they won’t have a ruler to tell them what they should and shouldn’t do.”

I tried to listen, but my brain suddenly decided to go through the memories again.  _ I’m a queen. I was turned into a demon to become a queen. They know I’m the one from the prophecy because I can see the future. Demons want me dead because they don’t want to have a queen… I’m a queen. _

“But,” I started, “I don’t know how to be a queen.”

“We’ve actually been training Sebastian already on how to be a king, and I’ve appointed myself as your advisor. We’ll teach you everything you need to know, but first I need to know how you’re feeling. Do you remember everything? Do you feel any different?”

_ Right,  _ I suddenly remembered,  _ they all believe I’m cursed.  _ I stared up at their anxious faces, trying to see if I felt any different. 

Immediately, I felt as though something was trying to crush me. A weight on my heart that kept pushing further and further. I knew. I remembered.

I returned my gaze to Lisa and nodded. “I remember. I-”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. There was a sudden pain in my head, worse than any I’d felt before. I cried out and gripped my hair as everyone called out to me and Sebastian wrapped his arms around me. I fought to stay conscious as I stared and saw spots, leaning on Sebastian. 

“Girls, get back!” Lisa shouted. 

I wanted to be worried about my friends, but I couldn’t think straight. The pain in my head increased, and at that point, I gave up trying to fight it and succumbed to the darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the pain.

My head was still throbbing, but my skin felt like it was on fire. My arms and legs burned. I let out a groan, and felt Sebastian pull me closer.

I finally pried my eyelids open and looked up at him. He and everyone behind him were staring at me with worry.

"What happened?" I asked, holding my head in my hand.

No one said anything. I looked from Sebastian to the others, and realized we were seated on the floor. Confused, I looked around.

I glanced over to where the bed sat, but it wasn't there. In its place was charred wood and ash. I gasped, then looked down at myself only to realize that mine and Sebastian's clothes were singed and had holes burned into them. I was so shocked and confused I couldn't even scream.

"What happened?" I asked again, this time with fear in my voice.

Sebastian held me tighter. "You remembered."

I slowly nodded. "But..."

"Dear," Lisa stepped forward, "it's the curse we talked about. As soon as you remembered, you lost control again. However, this time, well..."

"You've got another power, it seems," Evan said.

I glanced between my burnt clothes to the charred bed. "...fire?"

Everyone nodded.

I looked down at my arms. The burning sensation had disappeared, and I seemed to be fine.

Suddenly, I looked up at Sebastian and his burnt clothes, new fears rising up in me. "You held me the whole time? Did I hurt you?"

His worried expression lifted into a small smile. "Of course I held you. I wasn't going to leave you to fight it alone. And no, you didn't hurt me."

I smiled in relief. I knew I couldn't control what powers I possessed, but at the very least I didn't want to hurt anyone with them.

"It seems we'll have to be finding you a new bed," Lisa stated.

I looked up at her, a new confidence forming inside me. "Or you can let me out. I remember now. That was the deal, wasn't it?"

She frowned. "You need to learn to control yourself first. Then-"

"How is she supposed to learn to control her powers when she's trapped in a room where nothing happens to activate them?" Sarah asked. "She's been conscious here for over a week and you have yet to help her."

"We are doing what we can," Lisa countered. "She may remember her past now, but that does not change the fact that the curse she is under is still there and part of the reason her powers are so unstable. As soon as she goes out there and sees everything and everyone, she may once again become overwhelmed and lose control. And at this rate, she may burn down the entire castle!"

I stared at my hands as Lisa and Sarah glared at each other, bickering about what should be done with me. I had fire powers now. Maybe that was something I could practice...

As the arguing ensued, I looked at the candle on the nightstand. I had to prove that I could control myself. If at the very least I could demonstrate any kind of control, maybe they would let me explore.

I stared hard at the fire, trying to visualize snuffing the flame. I watched it flicker, seemingly desperate to stay alive, before it eventually faded into nothing but a thin stream of smoke.

Lisa, who had still been in a heated conversation with Sarah and Jasmine, stopped mid sentence and looked to the candle. Everyone followed her gaze.

"That's odd," she said as she walked over to the only unlit candle in the room. "These are never supposed to burn out."

Evan walked up beside her to examine the 'faulty' candle, while I moved my gaze to the next one a few feet away. Again, I pictured the flame going out, and it had the same effect, only this time was easier.

Sebastian held me tighter, more protectively. It took a lot to keep myself from giggling at everyone's confusion.

One by one, I put out all of the candles around the room except one. As I stared at the final flame, I made it grow to an almost dangerous size. Sebastian stood with me in his arms and backed away. This time, I couldn't keep my laughter contained. I giggled as the flame went back to its normal size, and all eyes fell on me. I simply smiled.

"Chrys?" Jasmine asked, confusion on her face. "Why are you laughing? This is serious!"

I couldn't help but laugh again. "No, it isn't," I told her, looking back to all the candles one by one and reigniting their flames. "It's just magic."

Everyone stared at me, dumbfounded. Everyone but Sebastian, who released me from his hold, smiling.

I turned to Lisa. "I don't understand why exactly you believe my outbursts to be the work of some curse. We all already know that I'm still unstable. I wish I could tell you why I was unconscious for so long. However, I would like for you to let me leave this room and experience this place for myself. At least for a little while." I sighed. "I know you only want to protect me, Lisa, and I really do appreciate everything you've done for me so far. However, I do not believe that keeping me locked up is going to help me learn to control myself. I need things to get me scared or angry so I can learn. Please."

Lisa's gaze was unreadable. "I suppose you are right. I'm only assuming you're cursed. I have no concrete evidence that you are. There may never be an answer as to why it took you so long to wake up. It's never taken anyone that long before, but you do have unique circumstances and many more, stronger powers than any other demon." She closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly trying to think. "I will allow you to leave this room to explore and practice using your powers. However, you may not, for any amount of time, be alone. With what has been going on, and that demon who attacked you, I want you well guarded."

Before I could speak, Sebastian did. "I will not leave her side."

"Us, too," Jasmine and Sarah chimed in.

I smiled, joyful tears filling my eyes.

Lisa gave a small, worried smile. "Alright. Be careful, all of you. Evan and I will work on restoring this room for when you return."

I turned to Sebastian, who was smiling at me. He pulled out his key, unlocked the door, then said, "Are you ready, My Love?"


	13. Chapter 13

As we stepped out of the room, the joy I'd thought I would feel was devastatingly absent. Instead, I felt immediate fear and dread. I froze once the door closed. I was outside my safe space. I was vulnerable.

I didn't notice the others staring at me. I was lost in my thoughts. What if that man with the red hair was somewhere? What would we do?

Cold fingers lacing with mine pulled me from my trance. I looked up to meet Sebastian's face, which was frowning at my obvious fear.

"We can turn back if you feel you aren't ready," he said gently.

I stared at him for another long moment, contemplating what I should do. I was in an unfamiliar place that held new threats than the ones I was used to. The powers that came with this prophecy weren't stable, and if something did happen, I could very well blow up the castle as Lisa feared.

When he didn't get an answer, Sebastian continued, "I know what you told Lisa was the truth. I understand you are scared, but you will need to face this new reality eventually. I will not leave your side. All you are doing is taking a walk. Should something disturb you, I will take care of it."

Someone took my other hand, and I glanced over to see Jasmine and Sarah looking at me earnestly. They agreed with what Sebastian said. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm acting like such a child..."

Jasmine and Sarah pulled me to them. "No! It's alright. We were nervous when we first woke up, too. You are not being a child. Your fears are legitimate." Sarah smiled. "You have always had so much on your plate, Chrys. More than any of us. And you're stronger because of it. We'll get through this, just like always."

"We're right here, Chrys," Jasmine added. "Let's go explore this place together."

I forced a smile and nodded. I believed what they said, and their words did help ease the fear, but I was still scared of what could be waiting for me. I gripped tightly to the hand holding mine, straightening myself. "I'm ready."

At that, we began making our way about the castle. Most of what I saw appeared to just be long corridors. We didn't enter any of the rooms in these halls, so I assumed they were just spare rooms that no one used. Sebastian confirmed my theories when he told me they were either spare bedrooms or servant quarters.

Our first stop was the throne room. I immediately recognized the walls and chandeliers. This was the room Sebastian had been in when I'd teleported to him.

I stared around the room, looking at everything from the tapestries on the walls to the blood red carpet that led from the doorway to the thrones. When my eyes finally landed on the thrones, I felt drawn to them. I released the hands holding mine and approached the regal chairs.

They appeared to be made out of a black marble. Black cushions were on the seat and the back, making them more comfortable to sit in. There were three of them, two of equal size, and one slightly smaller.

I brushed my hand lightly over the fabric of the pillows. It was soft and smooth, and I felt a chill go up my spine.

A hand lightly placed itself on my shoulder. "Would you like to sit in it?" Sebastian's voice asked.

I didn't look away from the throne. "Can I?"

I heard his smile as he spoke again. "Of course. It is yours, after all."

I didn't move for a moment, considering what he said. _It's mine. This throne, this castle, this kingdom..._

I backed away from the throne.

"What the matter?" Sebastian asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know why I agreed to do this. I can't. I can't be a queen." My hands held my head, my anxiety taking over.

"Chrys, if you hadn't-" Sarah started, but Sebastian silenced her by holding up his hand.

He knelt before me. "Chrystal, you will learn. You remember everything, don't you? You remember why you chose this life?"

I closed my eyes, thinking back to before I'd become a demon. We'd been preparing for my final trial in Hawaii. I'd had a massive headache. I'd...

"Because I would've died otherwise," I mumbled. "If a demon didn't come along and kill me, then my powers would have become too strong and my human body wouldn't have been able to take it." I sniffed, fighting back tears as I returned my gaze to Sebastian. "But that wasn't really it. I don't think I was truly afraid of dying."

Sebastian raised a hand and cupped my cheek, wiping a stray tear away with his thumb. I leaned into his touch. "It was because I really wanted my eternity with you, wasn't it?"

He smiled at me and nodded. "And I will be here with you every step of the way, My Queen."

I choked out a sob as I smiled at him, nodding.

"Now, would you like to sit in it?"

I looked back at the chair beside me. It suddenly seemed like so much more to me than just a throne. It was something I wasn't worthy of. Not yet.

I shook my head. "No. Not until I'm ready to do this for real. I have to earn that throne."

He stared at me for a moment before his smile grew and he pulled me close. "Yes, My Queen. As you wish."


	14. Chapter 14

The rest of the tour wasn’t nearly as emotionally jarring. I saw the kitchen, the dining hall, multiple large ballrooms and places to entertain guests, and several corridors that I was told would lead me back to my room if I were to get lost. A useless knowledge, I thought, since I could teleport. 

We ran into several other demons along the way, most of which I could tell had no intention of hurting me as they gave a slight bow or curtsey. But there were a couple that just stood and stared. When we passed them, I would look at the floor and grip Sebastian’s hand tighter. 

The four of us eventually made it back to my room. When we entered, Lisa and Evan were no longer there, but my bed was back and there was no evidence that there was ever a fire. When the door closed behind us, I let out a sigh of relief. 

Jasmine put her hand on my shoulder. “You made it.”

I smiled at her. “Yeah.”

There was a silent moment between us all, then Sebastian spoke. “Ladies, a moment, please.”

I watched Jasmine and Sarah look to each other, then to me, before nodding. They both gave me a hug, then left the room. 

When they were gone, I felt myself relax completely. I’d wanted to appear strong in front of them. I hoped I had. 

Sebastian pulled me to him, and it was then I noticed I was shaking. “They just stared at me,” I told him. “Why were their stares so cold?”

“They are skeptical about having a new monarch after all these years. I promise you that most, if not all of them, are loyal to you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Lisa and I have been having meetings with the staff here, and anyone who was not going to be loyal or was seen as a threat to your safety was removed until they earn their spot back.”

“But how-” I started, then stopped, remembering Lisa talking to me about her powers one time. “Oh, right. Lisa is practically a walking lie detector.”

Sebastian gave me a small smile and nodded. “Her gift is a handy one. Another reason she’s probably the best suited to be your advisor and help you make decisions. She’ll be able to tell you if someone is being truthful.”

I nodded, feeling calm again. After a moment, I said, “Thank you for taking me around the castle. I really needed to get out of this room before I went insane.”

Sebastian let out a light chuckle, pulling me closer. “I only wish I could have taken you outside. The grounds are stunning.”

“It’s alright. I was nervous enough just wandering the halls. Maybe next time I’ll be a bit stronger.”

“You’ve proven yourself to be strong by overcoming your fears and leaving this room today. It is not you I am concerned about. It’s the people outside that worry me. The grounds are not as heavily guarded as the castle is. Others tend to find ways to slip in and protest. And with the demon who attacked you still not found…”

I smiled and hugged him tighter. “It’s okay, Sebastian. I don’t mind waiting. As long as you’re here, I’ll wait as long as I have to.”

He let out a soft sigh, and I felt his shoulder relax as he held me. I wasn’t sure of everything that had him so stressed, but I was happy that my patience was enough to alleviate it. 

“Thank you,” he said. “I truly hope you will not have to wait much longer.”

I pulled away and looked him in the eyes. I saw his honestly, and his guilt at being one of the people keeping me locked away in this room. It broke my heart. “Sebastian, I’m surrounded by people I love and I have my memories. I’m okay.”

He smiled and nodded, reaching out and cupping my cheek. I nuzzled my face into his familiarly cold hand, then after a moment, he pulled me close and kissed me. 

I relaxed and sighed as we pulled each other closer. My arms wrapped around his neck as he kissed me deeply and lovingly. I felt so secure and safe whenever he held me, safer than I ever had.

We broke apart several long moments later, and I stood there, my head spinning and heart pounding, until I cleared my head and smiled at Sebastian, who was smiling back at me. 

We stood in silence for a few minutes after that, holding each other, refusing to let the moment end. I felt so safe, so secure. So loved. 

Until a knock on the door ruined our moment. 

I let out a disappointed sigh and released Sebastian, who frowned and turned to answer the door. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Lisa said as she walked in with Evan, Sarah, and Jasmine trailing reluctantly behind her, “but I need to speak with everyone. The matter is quite urgent.”

Everyone perked up at that, and my disappointment was forgotten as fear began to build up inside of me. It was urgent? I hated the sound of that.

When no one argued, Lisa continued, directing her words and attention to me and Sebastian. “I’ve had multiple people come forward and tell me they loved seeing you out and about today, Chrystal. Several of them seemed to have been quite worried about you.”

I froze. I could sense I wouldn’t like where this was going. 

Lisa paused, as though she was waiting for me to reply. When I didn’t, she said, “Since so many of the people here want to meet you and see that you are doing fine, I’m considering having you host a ball.”

I leaned back and sat on the bed as my jaw dropped. 

“A ball?!” Jasmine gasped.

“Are you serious?!” Sarah accused.

“Listen, girls. I think it would be good for her.” Lisa turned back to me. “Of course, it is your decision to make, but it would do wonders for the atmosphere around here. You should take the time to meet your staff.”

“But you have an ulterior motive, do you not?” Sebastian asked.

Lisa stopped, glanced at Sebastian, then lowered her head in a sigh. “I’ll admit, I do. It would be the perfect time for me to test who is loyal and who needs to be released from their positions.”

“That demon…” I mumbled, my voice wavering with fear. “You want to find that demon…”

Everyone’s gaze landed on me, and I looked up to meet Lisa’s. Her professional demeanor disappeared when she took in my anxieties.

“If he were to choose to show himself, I think it would be a good place to catch him.”

“Lisa…” Sarah started. 

“I am aware of the danger and Chrystal’s fears. However, she has to face them. We cannot keep this world waiting for its queen much longer.”

“But she’s faced enough for one day!”

Sebastian stepped in and placed a hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “A ball is a good idea. They take several days to prepare. Chrystal will have time to rest before the event.”

“And I can guarantee that with all of our combined power, nothing will hurt her.”

Sarah paused for a moment, then lowered her head and nodded. 

They all turned back to me. “Well?” Lisa asked. “What do you say?”


	15. Chapter 15

"What on Earth got into me?" I asked.

I stood in front of a large mirror, arms out to my sides, watching as a lady made the finishing touches to my ball gown. It had been several uneventful days since Lisa decided I should host a ball, and I'd been informed earlier that it was to happen tonight. Sarah was standing off to the side, since I was still nervous to be around anyone I didn't know. Lisa informed me the lady was fine, but I still couldn't bring myself to do this alone.

"It's for the best," Sarah said. "Everyone wants to meet you and see that you're alright. Is that so bad?"

"It is when half the demons in this world want to kill you," I muttered.

I saw her sigh through the mirror. "Much less than half, Chrys. Most of those who are not already loyal to you are just skeptical."

"As they should be. I've never done anything like this before."

"I wouldn't say that." Sarah took a couple steps closer. "You know how to take care of people. You understand that your servants are people. You are strong and dependable. I believe that when the time comes, you'll be a natural."

I smiled at her. "Thank you, Sarah."

She returned my smile and nodded.

"There!" the seamstress exclaimed. "Finished. How does it feel?"

I lowered my arms and looked into the mirror at the dress. It was black with three-quarter length sleeves. The entire top was covered in mesh lace, while the large skirt was shiny black silk. It felt heavy, but I was happy with it.

"It feels wonderful. And it's beautiful. Thank you."

I saw her smile in the mirror. "I'm so glad you like it, My Lady. I will leave you to finish getting ready. I've left a headpiece and shoes in a box on the chair by the door. Please don't hesitate to have someone come find me should you need anything." She bowed as I nodded, then left the room.

A moment of silence passed over the room as I returned my gaze to my reflection. I'd never really worn a fancy ball gown before, and I couldn't say I didn't like the experience.

Sarah broke the silence between us. "Would you like to try them? The shoes and accessories?"

I turned to face her and nodded. She quickly made her way across the room and picked up the bag and removed from it a small wrapped package and two boxes. The first thing she handed me was a larger box, which I opened to see it contained a pair of beautiful black high heels. I placed the shoes and the floor, then slipped them on.

I was immediately surprised with how comfortable they were. I'd never been a fan of heels; I'd only ever worn them when I wanted to _really_ dress up. Any other time I would wear flats because they didn't hurt. Maybe the lack of pain had something to do with being a demon, or maybe demons just knew how to make comfortable heels.

Sarah cleared her throat, and I quickly glanced up from my feet to see what else she was holding. She'd opened the small package and was offering me a black pearl necklace and a pair of gloves.

I took the necklace first, turned to the mirror, and clasped it around my neck. It went perfectly with the dress. When I turned to take the gloves, I remembered something that made me stop short.

Sarah watched with confusion. "What's the matter?"

I looked from the gloves she was holding to my left wrist. The mark of the contract I'd made with Sebastian was there, just as it had been for the past five years. It had been the reason I'd worn gloves all the time. I'd wanted to hide it from everyone so they wouldn't worry about me. I'd wanted to live my life as close to normal as I could.

Sarah spoke again, this time sounding slightly worried. "Chrys?"

I shook my head, clearing it of intrusive thoughts. "Sorry. I was just realizing that I don't need the gloves." I turned my gaze from my wrist to her and smiled. "I have nothing to hide anymore."

Sarah's gaze moved from mine to my wrist and back again. She gave a small smile, then sighed. "You know, I never told you because I didn't want to upset you, but I guess it doesn't matter now."

I cocked my head in confusion. "Told me what?"

She continued to smile as she sat in the chair that had been previously occupied by the bag she was holding. "Had things not turned out the way they had, Maia and Thomas were both going to try to find a way to adopt you."

I froze. "Really?"

Sarah nodded. "None of us told you because we didn't want to end up giving you false hope, but we were all going to help them fight to get you back. We wouldn't have let you stay in the system long."

After a moment of processing what she said, I beamed at her. "Thank you."

Her smile grew. "It doesn't matter now, of course. You made your own choices and never ended up in the system at all. And looking back," her smile faltered, "had you not made your contract, you might have been dead by now."

I lowered my head and nodded. Had I not made that deal with Sebastian several years ago, it wouldn't have changed the fact that I was destined to become the queen of demons. I still would have been hunted down, and if they somehow hadn't been able to find me, my powers surely would've been my end.

"Well," I said, lifting my head and breaking the silence, "I'm alive and we have a ball to get ready for. I don't want to wear the gloves. I want everyone to see my mark. What else was in the bag?"

Sarah smiled again, seeming happy to change topics. She placed the gloves to the side and slowly opened the last box. Her expression shifted to one I couldn't read, and I grew nervous.

"What is it?" I asked. It was a headpiece, right? What could make Sarah appear so conflicted?

I walked over to her as she glanced up at me, then gave another small smile as she removed the accessory from the box. My own mood shifted at the sight of it, and I was immediately conflicted. 

It was a small, black tiara.


	16. Chapter 16

“I won’t wear it. I can’t.”

“Chrys, calm down,” Jasmine’s voice said, muffled slightly by the closed door between us.

I refused the tiara. I wouldn’t wear it. I wasn’t ready to be a queen. Until I felt that I was, I didn’t want to act like one.

I was being childish, I knew that somewhere deep down. However, when Sarah had shown me the black tiara that I was to wear to the ball, I’d freaked out and thrown a fit over it. Sarah, having been unable to calm me down, left for reinforcements, and at the moment it was her and Jasmine out in the hallway while I sat in front of the door, hugging my knees and preventing anyone from entering the room. 

When Jasmine’s words sank in, I quickly looked around me. The strong winds around the room died down for a moment, and as I looked over all of the destruction I’d caused without realizing, I put my head to my knees, even more fear taking over. 

There was silence from the others for a long moment; that or I just couldn’t hear them over the wind in my ears. But I was able to hear a soft knock on the door just behind me. 

“Sebastian,” I cried.

Not a moment later, he was wrapping his arms around me. After a beat, his lips reached mine. 

I immediately latched onto him, holding on as tightly as I could. I was so scared of the winds that wouldn’t settle, of the tiara, of trying to learn to become a queen. And he could feel it. I knew he could as he held me close, kissing me lovingly, trying his best to ease my worries. 

After a moment, I felt the winds die, and I was left in the stillness of the room, quivering as I clung to him tighter. He pulled away from our kiss, and I buried my face in his chest.

“I can’t wear it,” I whispered to him. “I can’t.”

“And why not?” he asked gently. “Chrystal, it is only an accessory. It means nothing.”

I couldn’t respond. It didn’t mean ‘nothing’. It was a tiara. It marked me as the matriarch of this realm. I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t want to be a queen yet. 

“My Love, look at me.”

Shakily, I raised my head to meet Sebastian’s worried gaze. He gave me a soft smile.

“This tiara really seems to have you rattled. Usually I’d have been able to calm you down completely by now.”

I looked away.

“Do not worry, My Love. I will not make you wear it if you do not wish to. It was merely an accessory, and it was to help people spot you out of the crowd. Everyone is going to want to find you and say hello.”

I didn’t respond. 

He then gently lifted my chin with his index finger so my gaze met his once again. “Your dress is beautiful, by the way. Almost as much so as the lady wearing it.”

I smiled, blushing slightly, as the rest of my unease and anxiety suddenly disappeared. 

Sebastian’s kind and loving expression faltered for a moment as he looked up over my head. He pulled me into his arms and stood as the door opened. 

I lazily looked over to see Evan in the doorway, with a very worried Sarah and Jasmine on either side. Finally, my fuzzy brain realized what was happening. 

I clung to Sebastian. “You can stop, Evan.”

His eyes narrowed. “I apologize, but the ball is starting soon. You can’t be late.”

“And you plan to keep this hold on me for the entirety of the event? You know I can’t control myself yet. I don’t want to end up hurting either one of us.”

“Chrystal, I really don’t think-”

Even through the calming fog, I felt anger flare and a pounding behind my eyes. I glared at him. “Release me. Now.”

Evan stared in disbelief, as did the others. Suddenly, the calming sensation was gone, and my mind was once again flooded with fear. 

“Maybe we should reschedule the ball,” Jasmine spoke up, clearly worried about my outburst. “Chrys doesn’t seem to be well enough right now.”

“We can’t do that,” Sarah told her. “Everyone is already in there waiting for her.”

Sebastian then set me on my feet, but I didn’t look up. I was scared of what had just happened to me. I’d never been so mean…

After a moment, I felt something light being placed on my head. I looked up at Sebastian, tears still threatening to fall, and he gave me a soft smile. 

“My Love, please wear this tiara. It is only for one evening. Then you can burn it with your fire for all I care.” He paused for a moment, taking in my appearance, then smiled wider. “You really do look beautiful, Chrystal. At least you won’t have to worry about looking the part when the time comes for you to take the throne. You already look like a beautiful queen.”

At that, my tears spilled over, but out of happiness and love more than fear. I was still scared of what was happening and becoming a queen, but I knew that Sebastian was always going to be beside me. I was allowed to be scared, but he was going to be the one to always quell my fears and make me feel better. I wasn’t in this alone. I had to remember that. 

Slowly, I nodded. “I’ll wear it. Just for you,” I smiled. 

Sebastian’s expression turned to one of relief. Then he turned to the others. “Sarah, Jasmine, we have a ball to get to. Help Chrystal finish getting ready.”

They both nodded.

He turned back to me. “I will wait for you outside the ballroom.” With that, he kissed me one last time before leaving the room, Evan following behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

After Sarah and Jasmine fixed my hair and dusted off my dress, we made our way out of my bedroom and down the many halls to get to the ballroom. I was nervous along the way, but I tried not to let it show as we walked through each empty corridor. I didn't really understand why I was nervous when I knew everyone was already waiting in the ballroom, but I still couldn't bring myself to let my guard down.

When we turned the final corner and I saw Sebastian standing there waiting for me, I quickened my pace and dashed over to him. He turned and smiled at me as I practically threw myself into his arms and felt the fear of being away from him fade.

I felt a light hand on my back and turned to see Sarah and Jasmine giving me both worried and reassuring smiles.

"We're going to head on in and let them know you're here. They'll announce you both, then you'll come inside."

I looked at Sarah curiously. "Why are they announcing us?"

Jasmine answered, "Because you're important, silly."

I gave a small smile back and nodded, then they both gave a small wave as they opened the doors and went into the ballroom.

As the doors closed behind them, my nerves about everything that was about to happen came back, and I hugged Sebastian tighter.

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Chrystal, everyone has been asked to treat you as any other person. No one is to make you feel like a queen tonight. You are merely here to meet everyone."

I pulled away to look at him. "But Lisa said-"

"All of the guards have been made aware of the situation, and Lisa and I are not going to leave your side all night. You have nothing to fear, My Love."

I felt myself relax again and smile, nodding. Sebastian smiled back, then kissed me softly as I heard a guard call out, "Lady Chrystal Foster and Sir Sebastian Michaelis."

Sebastian pulled away, smiling even brighter. "Shall we, My Lady?"

I linked my arm with his and nodded, then watched as the doors opened before us and Sebastian led us into the grand ballroom.

*

The ballroom was large and decorated in black and gold, but I wasn't really paying attention to the decor. My eyes went straight to the large crowd of demons clapping as we entered the room.

I had never minded having lots of people watching me. I'd hosted enough parties as a human to be used to that. What made me freeze was their stares. Very few of the demons before me were hiding their red eyes from me. While most of them looked on with pleasant expressions, some were cold. I leaned closer to Sebastian as the pounding behind my eyes returned.

He then quickly led me down the steps and across the room to a small area that had been sectioned off. I barely noticed that Lisa was already there waiting for us.

"What's the matter?" she asked as Sebastian led me to the chair that was waiting for me.

No one answered her for a long moment as Sebastian knelt beside me, making sure I was alright. When he stood again, he was smiling.

"What?" Lisa asked him, clearly confused.

"You didn't feel that? While she was standing up there?"

Lisa's confusion disappeared. "That was..."

Sebastian nodded.

"What happened? What did you feel?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

Sebastian took my hands in his and gently pulled them away from my face. "The demon in you reacted to their stares and asserted its dominance. You pretty much silently confirmed who you are to them. I'm surprised they were all able to resist the urge to kneel to you."

"Probably because we told them to," a new, yet familiar voice spoke up.

I looked behind Sebastian to see Evan had allowed himself into our area of the ballroom. He was smiling. "That was pretty powerful. I'd be surprised if I wasn't already aware of your strength."

I couldn't help but smile at the compliment. I hadn't meant to do anything, but I guess this time it was something that needed to be done. _Maybe all of the people here will trust me now._

The sensation behind my eyes grew, then, and I pulled my hands away from Sebastian to cover them. "What's happening?" I asked him.

He took my hands again, and I looked at him. "Don't cover them. They're beautiful." His eyes lit up then, glowing a brilliant crimson like everyone else's, and I finally understood what was happening.

"But why does it feel so strange?"

He released one of my hands to caress my cheek. I leaned into his touch as he answered. "It is still new to you. You will get used to the feeling with time, so much so that you won't even notice. Once you get to that point, we will teach you how to control it. For now, let it be. You needn't hide it from anyone here."

I nodded, and he smiled as he pulled away from me and stood. "Now, today you will be meeting as many of the people who work here in the castle as possible. Lisa will do most of the talking, and if she sees that they are not going to be loyal to you, they will be escorted out of the building by a guard and will not be allowed to return until they have changed their ways. I will stay beside you, and if you would like a break from speaking with people, just tell me and I'll make sure you have a moment."

I smiled and nodded, happy that Sebastian was going to stay with me and I wouldn't have to speak with anyone all that much. I just hoped I wouldn't accidentally do anything to ruin this.

Sebastian's smile grew, then he turned to Lisa and Evan. "Let tonight's festivities begin."


	18. Chapter 18

The night went on and on, and I lost count of how many people I had met. I did remember the look on one demon's face as he was escorted out of the castle for lying to Lisa. His glare was cold, and it had stuck with me for the past couple of hours.

Now, there was a lady standing before me with a pleasant smile on her face, just as most of the others had had before her. She was chatting with Lisa about how much she loved her kingdom and wanted what was best for it, when I suddenly felt myself becoming faint. I reached out an arm. "Sebastian."

Lisa and the woman had stopped their talk of politics. "My Lady, are you alright?" the stranger asked, her concern sounding genuine.

Sebastian was beside me, holding my hand. "What is it, My Love? A vision?"

I gave a slight nod, resting my head on the back of the chair. He cupped my cheek, smiling. "Alright then, I have you."

I gave a weak smile back and closed my eyes.

As soon as my vision darkened, however, it lit right back up again.

_The ball was in full swing, everyone was chatting away, Lisa and Sebastian were still beside me, and Evan was leaning on a wall, clearly on guard. I felt a pang of guilt that the guards weren't able to enjoy themselves, but it was their job to keep everyone safe. I hoped they weren't feeling left out._

_I quickly shook off the feeling as I watched Sarah and Jasmine approach me. They were smiling brightly, then seemed to convince Lisa and Sebastian to give me a break so they could have fun with me. I was about to stand when I heard a shout and shattering glass. It was then my vision darkened again._

Slowly, I pulled myself from the darkness and lifted my head, opening my eyes as I did so. I saw Sebastian smiling at me, and noticed his hand was still on my cheek. I covered his with mine and leaned into the touch.

"Well?" he asked.

"I didn't see much," I told him, my voice low. "All I saw was Jasmine and Sarah, and then someone yelled and I think a window broke. Something is going to happen in a couple of hours."

Sebastian nodded. "I shall inform the guards. Do you need a break to rest?"

I shook my head. "I'm alright. I don't get tired anymore from my visions, especially the small ones."

His smile grew. "I'm very glad to hear that." He then pulled away from me as he stood. "I will go tell the guards what you told me. You and Lisa may continue speaking to people if you wish. I will return shortly."

I nodded and watched as he left to join the crowd of people.

Lisa placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you ready for the next guest, dear?"

I looked over to her, then faced forward. "What about the woman who was just here?"

"She was genuine in all her words, and left to not disturb you. The next person is waiting, if you're ready."

I turned my face to the crowd of people in the ballroom. Some were dancing, but most were mingling with other demons and enjoying the atmosphere. I quickly spotted Sebastian speaking to Evan, who then nodded and walked away as Sebastian started toward the next guard.

I faced Lisa again and nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."

*

Time went by slowly, and with each passing minute, I grew more and more anxious about what I'd foreseen. Sebastian returned to my side after telling all of the guards of what was to come, and he would give me a reassuring smile every time I looked at him. Seeing him beside me helped to ease my nerves, but I found I still wasn't really able to concentrate on the demons I was meeting.

After a couple of hours, I decided I wanted a break from the introductions. Lisa informed the line of people, and Sebastian knelt beside me.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

I knew he could see the nerves I was trying to hide. "Worse by the second. It could happen any time now."

His expression grew grim. "Did you see any precursors to the event?"

I tried to think back on my vision, which had slowly begun to fade. "Jasmine and Sarah come to see me right before it happens."

"Then you should try not to worry about anything until that happens." He then leaned in close and whispered, "And should anything happen to you, your swords are behind your chair."

I felt relief wash over me at that. Sure, I had demon powers now, but I still wasn't entirely in control of them. My swords were familiar. I knew I could protect myself with them beside me.

He stood, smiling at how I'd clearly relaxed. "This ball is not just for the others, you know. You should try to have some fun as well."

I looked down at the beautiful ball gown that had been made just for me. I was so grateful for the lady taking the time to do so, and it was a bit of a shame that I wasn't really able to show it off from just sitting in a chair.

I stood, then, wanting to stretch my legs while I had a break to do so. Sebastian watched me, smiling, then moved to stand in front of me and offered his hand. I watched for a moment, confused.

As he continued to smile at me, he asked, "My Love, may I have this dance?"


	19. Chapter 19

I stared at his extended hand, not sure what to do. In all our time together, I’d never danced with him. I hadn’t really ever danced with anyone, other than the occasional party I’d thrown where I would dance with children.

I looked back up at his face, and he was still smiling at me. It was a smile that he knew would ease my worries, that told me everything would be alright. Still…

“But I’m not very good at dancing,” I told him quietly, “and everyone will be watching me…”

I looked away, nerves trying their best to get me back in my chair, but Sebastian then stepped forward and took my hand in his. I looked back up at him as he said, “Let them stare. Let them admire the beauty of their queen, and know that you are all mine.” His eyes were shining with something I couldn’t place, but his words and expression gave me butterflies that made me blush and smile.

Gripping his hand tighter, I nodded. “Alright. I’d love to dance with you.”

His smile grew, and my heart melted as he pulled me along and led me to a small clearing on the dance floor. The music started, and he led me in time with the music. 

As we danced, I forgot all about the vision of coming threats and the people around us as I stared up at Sebastian. It was like we were the only people in the world.

After several entrancing minutes of dancing, he suddenly pulled me close to him. I let out a gasp of surprise as he held me tightly to him. His grip felt tense and protective, and I was confused by it. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked him, worried. 

He looked down at me, then turned his gaze to where I had been seated before. Sarah and Jasmine were standing there, waiting for me to return. 

I froze. “But, this is different. I’d already been over there when the attack came.”

He held me tighter. Something was coming, wasn’t it? He could sense it and was trying to protect me. Or maybe he just didn’t want to take any chances.

After a moment, he pulled away, but his hand never left mine. “Come back to your seat, My Love. You’ll be safer over there.”

I didn’t have it in me to fight him. He seemed so distracted and worried so suddenly. I wanted to make sure he knew I would be okay. 

Since when was _ I _ the calm one?

I made it back to my seat, and Sarah and Jasmine were both bombarding me with questions and compliments on the dancing. 

“The whole room was watching!”

“You looked so beautiful! Can you teach me to dance like that?”

“Oh, Chrys, I can’t believe this is our lives, now! It’s so-”

At that moment, something felt off, and Jasmine cut her sentence short when she saw my expression change suddenly. “What’s-”

“Get down!” I yelled, pushing them to the floor. 

As soon as they hit the ground, our ears were filled with the familiar sound of glass shattering, just as it had in my vision. The room filled with screams and startled gasps, and when I looked up again, Sebastian was beside us.

His gaze met mine, and as it did, I gave him a silent order. He nodded, then jumped into action as I stood and climbed onto my chair. 

My eyes felt weird again, but I did my best to ignore it. “Everyone! Please make your way to the exit in a quick and orderly fashion. The guards will help you all to evacuate.”

They all seemed to manage a nod and calm themselves enough to obey my orders. As they all made for the exits, I climbed down from the chair and grabbed my swords. 

Sarah and Jasmine were both watching me warily. “Chrys…”

I looked at them sternly. “Go.” 

Their eyes flashed for a moment, before they too nodded and ran toward the door. Once they were out of sight, I turned toward where I had left Sebastian. 

He was engaged in combat with the fiery haired demon who had attacked me before, while several guards were busy dealing with other demons I had never seen before. After a moment, I recognized the one we had escorted from the ball. 

My eyes burned as anger coursed through me. What did these people have against me? What was so wrong with having me as a queen?

“Stop…” I whispered, my body shaking. I couldn’t understand what was so wrong. I wasn’t a bad person. Why did they want me dead? “Stop, stop, STOP!!!”

I was knelt on the floor when the commotion stopped. I looked up, trembling, to see they were all staring at me, frozen in place. The red head scowled while Sebastian stared worriedly. 

My grip on my swords was tight, but my arms were shaking just as hard as the rest of my body. Once again, I was scared. 

As the intruders tried to move, my eyes would burn even more. I cried out, dropping my swords to hold my eyes, as if it would dull the pain. 

“Chrystal,” I heard Sebastian call out.

I let out a sob. “Sebastian.”

It was as if saying his name had freed him from whatever was holding everyone in place. He raced toward me and knelt down, resting his hand on my head. “What’s happening to me?” I whispered.

“It’s similar to what happened as you entered the ballroom. You are superior. You’ve frozen them in place with your command.”

I released my burning eyes to look up at him. “But you were-”

His eyes shined as he gave a faint smile. “Yes. You are destined to be our queen, My Love. Besides,” he slowly took my left hand in his, and we both stared at the mark of our contract on my wrist. He didn’t need to finish his sentence. He had to follow all of my orders, whether they were as his contractor, or as his queen. 

“Ah!” I cried, pulling my hand away from him and covering my eyes again. Sebastian pulled me close, and I heard deep chuckling. 

“You aren’t very strong yet, are you?” asked a familiar voice. I didn’t have to look up to know it was the demon with the red hair. “Breaking out of that was child’s play. I thought you were supposed to be some all powerful demoness? At the moment you appear to be more of a wannabe who can’t control her powers.”

At that, my mood shifted, and it felt like I wasn’t in control anymore. I removed my hands from my eyes and got to my feet. “Maybe, but I’m still stronger than you.”

He let out a loud laugh. “Is that so? Why don’t you prove it to me, then?”

I felt myself send a quick glare at him, then watched as his fiery hair began to smoke before bursting into flames. 

“What do you want with me? Why do you want to kill me?” I demanded to know. 

He didn’t seem bothered by the fact that his hair was on fire as he answered. “It’s simple, really. If the monarchy returns, we won’t be able to do whatever we want anymore. There will be rules and punishments. That’s not really my style.”

“So you and your men back there are trying to kill me just so you won’t have to follow certain rules?”

He smirked. “Freedom does come at a price, Your Majesty.”

A moment later, I was being pushed into the wall. I cried out in pain as I looked up to see what happened. The demon had somehow grabbed me away from Sebastian and forced me against the wall. 

He leaned his face in close to me as I glared back at him with eyes that felt like they were on fire. “It seems you haven’t learned to control the demon within you yet, either. Someone hasn’t been doing very well training you.”

“I’ve only been here-”

“You’ve been here for about four months now. You should be able to at least control your temper by now.”

“But I only-”

“Now, I don’t care much for this chit chat. I say I end you now. Or better yet, you can come with us? We’ll teach you how to really use your powers.”

I wanted to immediately decline, call him insane, but something inside of me was intrigued. What could he do to help me that the others wouldn’t?

I shook the thought away. “Sebastian!”

He sighed. “Your loss.”

And then everything went dark. 


	20. Chapter 20

_ My surroundings were shrouded in darkness. My eyes were open, I  _ knew  _ they were, and yet I couldn’t see a single thing.  _

_ I could feel things, though, like the shackles around my wrists and ankles. I immediately let out a sob, remembering that awful vision of being chained and forgetting Sebastian.  _

_ Taking a deep breath, I tried to pull myself together. I was not going to sit here, crying in the darkness. I had to get out. _

_ I tugged on the chains on my wrists. They were strong, and the metal dug into my skin. It was then, when I tried to call for help and no sound left my mouth, I realized I was in a vision, and would simply have to wait it out.  _

_ After several long minutes, fear started creeping back in. What if this wasn’t a vision? What if I was captured and chained and my voice was gone? This was the demon world, after all. I still wasn’t sure of all the powers it possessed.  _

Sebastian, please, wake me up, _ I begged silently.  _

“As you wish.”

*

I bolted upright as soon as I could move for myself. I immediately felt my wrists and sighed in relief when there were no chains, leaning against Sebastian who was sitting beside me. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt myself calm down. 

I eventually looked up to see everyone was in the room with us. Lisa, Evan, Sarah, and Jasmine were all watching me closely. I glanced away. “What happened?”

“You fell unconscious before that man could do anything to you. He was confused, and it gave Sebastian the opening to save you,” Lisa answered. 

“I guess it was a vision, then,” I muttered to myself. 

“What of?” Sebastian asked.

I leaned into him more, and he held me tighter. “I’m not sure. I was chained up somewhere and couldn’t speak. And it was too dark to see anything. I just don’t understand why I couldn’t break out of it.”

“Maybe it wanted you to see something else,” Evan suggested. “For some reason, you got there a little early.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Every vision I’ve had has started and ended where it was supposed to. There’s always been a beginning and an end to the situation. For this, I was just chained in the dark with no way out. It didn’t feel like anything was coming, either.”

“Maybe we should enhance security, then,” Sarah spoke up. “We could put more guards-”

“We don’t have any more guards to spare,” Lisa told her. “Everyone who is capable of helping is already doing so.”

“But Chrys-” Jasmine tried. 

“We will resume what we were doing before all of this. Someone will remain by her side until this matter is resolved.” Lisa looked from Jasmine to me, then back again. “I understand how worried you are for her, and I promise we will do everything in our power to make sure nothing happens to her. Trust us, okay?”

Jasmine slowly nodded. Then, Lisa turned back to me. “You have some very loyal friends, Chrystal.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I do.”

She returned my smile, then turned to leave. “Evan and I have business to take care of, and we must inform all of the guards to stay more alert for the time being.” She turned back to me then, “And thank you for going through with the ball. I’m glad my little plan didn’t get you hurt.” And with that, she and Evan left the room. 

No more than three seconds after the door was closed behind them, Jasmine burst into tears and ran toward me. I pulled away from Sebastian as she latched onto me in a tight hug, sobbing. 

“I was so scared, Chrys. I didn’t want anything to happen to you! I thought this would all go away once you became a demon, and now you have to go through it all over again.”

I held her tight, rubbing her back, trying to calm her down. “I know it’s hard, Jasmine, I really didn’t want to have to deal with it again, either. But now, I have you and Sarah who are able to help me, and I don’t have to worry about protecting you when you have the power to protect yourselves. Of course, I’m still going to worry, but you both can handle yourselves now.”

Jasmine sat up, her tears replaced by a look of determination. “Don’t worry about us, Chrys. We’ll protect ourselves. We have basic knowledge of what we can do, and it will be enough. So please, just worry about your own safety until this is all resolved!”

I gave her a big smile. “I’ll hold you to that. Thank you.”

She smiled brightly and hugged me again before backing away from me. “With that in mind, I better go see if I can practice some more. I need to be ready for anything!” She bolted out the door before I had a chance to reply. 

Sarah sighed. “I’ll go find her. She’s been getting like this a lot lately whenever she’s worried.”

I nodded, and Sarah, too, left the room. 

When the door was finally closed again, I returned to leaning on Sebastian. I loved my friends to death, but they could be a little exhausting. 

“So what all really happened?” I asked him. “Were you able to contain any of the people who attacked us?”

Sebastian nodded. “Several of the guards were able to restrain some of them. They’ve been locked away for questioning. However, the one who attacked you managed to escape. I apologize for that.”

“Don’t,” I told him, nuzzling up against him. “You protected me. Thank you.”

He lowered his head to mine. “I will always protect you, My Love. You should know that by now.”

I nodded, closing my eyes.

He chuckled lightly. “Are you tired?”

I shook my head. “I just want to lay like this for a while…”

He kissed the top of my head, smiling. “As you wish. Anything for you, My Love.”


	21. Chapter 21

_ I was back in the vision, shackles around my wrists and ankles. It was dark, and I still couldn’t speak.  _

Why am I back here?  _ I thought. Was Evan right? Was there something I was supposed to see? _

_ I felt my body tug on the chains, and the same pain of the metal digging into my wrists.  _

It’s the same as before,  _ I realized.  _ I guess this time I’ll just have to wait it out…

_ So I waited for what felt like hours. Nothing happened, no noises were heard other than the chains around me, and I still couldn’t see. _

_ Finally, I heard myself speak. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” _

_ I stared into the darkness in confusion, wondering what was happening? I hadn’t heard anything, so why was I so scared? _

_ A familiar voice responded, “Your powers are growing, I see. You can sense my presence now. Fascinating.” _

_ My body turned toward the voice, my eyes burning against the darkness. It was then that I saw my captor’s eyes glowing brightly as well.  _

_ “I thought you wanted me dead. Why kidnap me?” _

_ The demon gave a deep chuckle, as if the answer should have been obvious. “You aren’t the only one who is in charge of the kingdom, you know.” _

_ I gasped, a much more intense fear taking over me. “Sebastian…” _

_ I could hear his smirk as he continued. “Yes, he is also in the way, and I thought it would be best to persuade him to relinquish the kingdom rather than fight him for it.” _

_ I gave a single laugh. “So I’m bait, is that it? Your hostage?” _

_ “You’re catching on quickly. Once he gets here, he’ll have the option of either stepping down or watching you die. I can’t wait to see what he chooses.” _

_ “And what’s stopping me from calling for him while no one is here? You know we’re bound by a contract. He’ll come to me if I-” _

_ “Go ahead and try, Your Majesty. That spell doesn’t work down here. He won’t hear you, no matter how many times you call.” _

_ My heart dropped. I would be stuck until he found me.  _

_ I gave the demon one last glare. “He’ll kill you. He’ll kill you and save me. I know he will.” _

_ The demon laughed. “I’d like to see him try.” _

*

I woke up from the vision slowly, as if it was trying to tug me back in and show me more. But I’d seen enough. I knew what was going to happen, and I had to warn the others. 

“Chrystal?” Sebastian’s voice sounded distant as I tried to push the sleep away. I had to wake up. I had to warn him. 

Sebastian gently sat me up, and I leaned against him. He held me close as I struggled to wake up for the next several minutes. After what felt like forever, I finally opened my eyes. 

What I saw was that my room was once again a wreck. Paintings and books were scattered across the floor, and the blanket had been torn off the bed. 

“I didn’t even…” I started.

“It’s alright,” Sebastian told me. “You were in your vision when it happened. What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Something’s pulling me back, but I need to… warn you…”

“Then go back,” he said, petting my hair. “It must be important if it’s fighting you like this. I’ll be right here when it’s over.”

I gave a weak nod, then let the vision take over once again. 

*

_ However, what I saw was not what I was expecting.  _

_ I felt myself scream, my voice raw as I fought hard against my restraints. It took a moment to realize I was screaming the name of the one I love.  _

_ “Sebastian! Wake up! Sebastian! I order you! Sebastian!! Please! Don’t leave me!” _

_ I was finally able to see, and the sight before me made me sick.  _

_ Sebastian was lying dead on the ground, mutilated almost to the point where one wouldn’t be able to recognize him. But I could. The pain in my heart and my left wrist were all I needed to know that my love was dead.  _

_ Standing over his corpse was a group of demons, all of them smirking at me. In front of them was the one with the fiery red hair. He was laughing hysterically.  _

_ “Well, I guess he didn’t love you enough to put up much of a fight,” he howled. “Now, I’ll ask you nicely one last time. Step down, and I might let you live.” _

_ I couldn’t answer. I was sobbing uncontrollably.  _

_ He sighed. “You had your chance. I guess this is our only solution.” He looked back at his men. “Kill her. And I suppose if you want to have some fun first, be my guest. I’m going to go take the kingdom back for us.” _

_ I looked up as the red head walked away, and saw the sadistic smiles and lust in the eyes of his men as they slowly approached.  _

_ “No, please,” I cried softly. I felt hands on me, then closed my eyes.  _

_ The only thing left I could do was scream. _


	22. Chapter 22

I was still screaming when I woke up again. I sat up quickly, fighting the arms around me. My mind wouldn’t shake the vision, and I still felt trapped inside it.

“No! Let go of me!” I cried, desperately fighting the hands on me. Eventually, I was released, but I still couldn’t bring myself out of the scene I had witnessed. 

I heard voices, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. My imagination had continued the vision, and I was crying and screaming for those awful demons to leave me alone.

“Chrystal!”

That familiar voice made my mind freeze. I managed to stop screaming, and finally opened my eyes. 

Sebastian was before me, staring at me with intense red eyes. I’d never seen him look so stern. I would’ve cowarded away from him if the fear wasn’t completely overtaken by the joy and relief of seeing him alive. I began crying again, reaching out and latching onto him tightly. 

“Oh, you’re alive!” I cried over and over again. “Thank goodness, you’re alive.”

His arms wrapped tightly around me in return. “Yes, I’m here. I’m right here.”

After a few moments, the door burst open, and I clung to Sebastian tighter. 

“What happened?” Lisa’s voice was loud and confused. “The whole castle heard her screams.”

When she didn’t receive an answer, I heard her sigh, and soon felt her place a hand on my head. The urge to shake her off was hard to resist, but I did, telling myself repeatedly that she wouldn’t hurt me.

She gasped as she pulled her hand away, and when I looked up at her, she was covering her mouth with one hand, her expression terrified. 

I turned away from her, burying my face in Sebastian’s chest as he held me tighter. 

“What happened?” came Sarah’s concerned voice. 

“Chrys, are you alright?” Jasmine asked. 

All I could do was shake my head. 

There was a long, heavy silence in the room after that. No one moved as I sobbed in Sebastian’s arms. I could still feel the hands on me, see Sebastian’s mutilated corpse, hear the demons’ laughs. 

After a while, Lisa spoke up, her voice directed toward Sarah and Jasmine. “Come along, girls. They’re going to need a minute.”

“But what happened?” Jasmine asked, her scared voice breaking my heart. 

There was a pause. “Do I have your permission to tell them, dear?”

I nodded. There was no way I was going to be able to.

At that, I heard the door open, then close a moment later. Even with it just being Sebastian and I in the room again, I still couldn’t lift my head. I clung to him desperately, as if I was trying to confirm he really was here with me, that he really was alive. 

After many more minutes of crying, Sebastian eventually leaned back and held me in place, refusing to let me hide my face anymore. He was probably trying to look me in the eyes, but I refused to open them. I wouldn’t be able to see well, anyway. Everything was going to be blurred by my tears. 

“Chrystal,” he said softly. “What happened? Tell me.”

I finally opened my eyes. As expected, my vision was blurred, but I could still see that the stern expression he was giving me earlier was gone. He now showed me nothing but concern and fear.

I opened my mouth to try to tell him, but no sound came out. More tears welled up at that. My one reason I hadn’t wanted to go back into that vision was to warn him of what I had seen. Now I wasn’t even going to be capable of that. My fists kept clenching handfuls of his clothes, trying to reassure my brain that he was in fact right in front of me, and not lying dead on the floor. 

“I’m so happy you’re alive,” I whispered. “I love you. I love you so much.” I sniffed, trying to hold back sobs. “Please. Please don’t-”

He interrupted me by placing his lips on mine. My heart jumped, and I felt more tears as I leaned into his touch. He was alive. He was with me.  _ He’s right here. He’s alright. I’m alright. _

I was the one to pull away. I wiped away my tears, then looked up at him. I wasn’t even surprised when I saw his windblown hair. I refused to look at the state the rest of the room was in. 

“Can you tell me what you saw, My Love? I’d like to help you.”

I slowly nodded. Then, taking a deep breath, I told him about the whole vision. 

When I reached the end of it, I was crying again, hugging myself. I could still feel it, the hands of those horrible demons. But what was almost just as scary as the vision was the anger on Sebastian’s face that he was trying desperately to cover up for my sake. I looked down and leaned into his embrace again. 

“Please,” I said between sobs. “Promise me you won’t die. I order you. You are not allowed to die. I don’t care what they do to me, just don’t leave me…”

I continued to sob as he pulled me close, resting his head on mine. “I promise you, My Love. And I won’t let them lay a finger on you. I swear it.”


	23. Chapter 23

After my vision, I refused to leave my room again. I wasn’t going to let myself go anywhere that the red haired demon could find me. I knew the door was locked and that there were guards outside. I also knew Sebastian was right beside me. 

It had been days since then, and I was miserable. I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing those demons again, feeling the hands on my skin. I spent this time cowering in fear of the future, hoping someone was trying to come up with a plan to stop it. 

Sebastian would speak to me, try to reassure me that I was alright, but I wasn’t able to respond. I was alright for the time being, yes, but I had no idea when this vision would come. All I was able to do was sit in silence, wrapped tightly in Sebastian’s arms. 

After about a week of this, Lisa came back into the room. 

“How’s she doing?” she asked Sebastian.

“She hasn’t said a word, and she won’t even sleep.”

“I see.” 

There were some shuffling sounds in the room, then Lisa was seated in front of me on the bed. “Dear, listen to me. I know what you saw was scary, but surely you know by now no one is going to let that happen to you.”

I didn’t respond.

“And Sebastian is not going to let anything happen to him when you still need him. You have a contract. He won’t die so easily.”

“But you weren’t there,” I whispered, my voice quivering. “You read my mind, but you weren’t in the vision.”

She leaned back slightly. “Chrystal-”

“You didn’t feel any of it. You weren’t there. Did you really see what happened? Could you feel the fear, the hatred, the loneliness?”

Lisa didn’t respond. 

I continued. “I did. I felt so many things. I was scared to be chained up in the darkness all alone. I hated that demon when he came over to me and started talking about how he wants to kill me just so he won’t have to follow the rules, when he said he was going to make Sebastian either hand over the throne or watch me die. I was scared, angry, and sad when I watched them kill him, destroy his body, then turn to me and… and-”

Sebastian’s arms around me tightened. “You needn’t say it. We know.”

It was then I noticed I was crying again. “It can’t be true. It can’t come true. I won’t let it.” I leaned into Sebastian’s touch. “I’ll stay in this room forever. I won’t lose you.”

Lisa leaned forward, then, taking my hand. “Chrystal, listen to me. You’re correct. I couldn’t feel your emotions when I read your mind. However, I know you well enough to know what you must have been feeling. It is different for me to see the images from an outside perspective while you are thrown in the middle of these visions. It’s hard, and I’m sorry you must deal with this, but you cannot keep yourself locked in this room forever. Your people need you. By staying in here, that demon wins.”

I stared at her, mouth agape as more tears welled up and my heart dropped. “No, he can’t.”

“Then don’t let this fear control you. You are so strong, Chrystal. Instead of sitting here, cowering, be thinking of what you could do differently in the event that your vision comes true.”

I blinked back the tears. “I ordered Sebastian not to die…”

She gave me a kind smile. “That’s a start.”

*

Something happened after my conversation with Lisa. I grew more confident. I knew I had to be able to protect myself in the event that my vision or a similar one came true. I had to be able to defend myself. My swords weren’t going to be enough to protect me. Not in a world full of demons and magic. 

For the next few days, I was still too scared to leave my room. However, I didn’t spend that time curled up in a ball awaiting my fate. Sebastian and Lisa both took time to help me try to control my powers. I’d already managed to learn to teleport at will and use fire magic, but the wind was still alluding me. 

“Sebastian, it’s never going to happen. I can’t do it.”

We were trying to get me to use my wind magic on command, but no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t come. It was beginning to seem like the only time I could use it was when I was an emotional wreck. 

Sebastian walked over to me and took my hand. “It’s okay, Chrystal. It takes time to be able to master a new skill, and I’m still impressed by how you learned fire so easily.” He was giving me his gentle smile. “You’ll learn it in time. Perhaps you need a break. You’ve been at this for hours.”

I shook my head. “I can’t take a break. I can’t. I have to be ready.”

His smile fell. “Yes, you do, but you cannot keep pushing yourself like this.”

I pulled my hand away from his. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not a human anymore.”

I heard him let out a sigh. “No, you are not. You are a powerful demon.” He knelt down in front of me then, looking me in the eyes. “I understand how it feels having people you need to protect. We are in this fight together. Please remember that.”

Something about his words struck me somewhere. I was suddenly remembering that I was not the only one who had something to fight for. Sure, I was fighting so I could protect the people I cared about, but they were all doing the exact same thing for me and for the good people in this demon world. 

Tears began to trickle their way down my cheeks, and I looked at Sebastian. “I know. I’m so sorry. I just-”

He wrapped his arms around me, and I lay my head on his shoulder, trying to stop crying. “It’s alright, My Love. I know you only have good intentions, but you should know you cannot do this alone. Even if you could, I wouldn’t let you. I am always by your side.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder as he held me tighter. “Thank you, Sebastian.”

He held me like that for a long time, all the while so many thoughts were going through my head. Sebastian only ever wanted what was best for me. If he said I needed a break, he was probably right. I had to listen to him if I wanted to save anyone. 

We were both fighting for everyone in this kingdom. I wasn’t alone. Maybe I was destined to be this world’s queen, but that made Sebastian its king. We were in this fight together. And together, we would win. 

We had to.


End file.
